


Shadows Will Pass

by OzQueen



Series: It Don't Come Easy [3]
Category: Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Genre: Character Development, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Relationship(s), Sci-Fi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-01
Updated: 2010-11-02
Packaged: 2017-10-13 00:31:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 65,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/130825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzQueen/pseuds/OzQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Heh, so I'm being harrassed to post this now. It's not finished yet so I'm sure at some point there will be an end to 'frequent' updates, but I promise to get this finished! I have several chapters done already, so here we go.</p><p>Things you need to know: This is the third and final installment of my current series. It follows Give Up The Fight and It Don't Come Easy. At first it might seem like you can read this quite well without having read those stories, but I certainly encourage you to read those first because the later chapters will have references to the events that have happened there.</p><p>Things between the Planeteers will be put right, but this story largely focuses on their first mission together in ten years. Yay, a Planeteer mission! WITH CAPTAIN PLANET. :D</p><p>As a result, their relationships and interactions take place over a long period of time, so please don't expect a lot of fluffy Wheeler/Linka moments straight away ;) Just have faith in me to get there eventually and we'll be okay! :p</p><p>The title is taken from the Patty Griffin song 'Icicles' - I figured I should stick with her, given that she's titled the other two fics in this series! :)</p><p>Do let me know what you think. The chapters to this story will be shorter, so hopefully some of you will find things easier to get through. :)</p><p>Don't forget where we left things off in the last story - the Planeteers were about to fly to Antarctica to take on Dr. Blight - their first mission in 10 years.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> Heh, so I'm being harrassed to post this now. It's not finished yet so I'm sure at some point there will be an end to 'frequent' updates, but I promise to get this finished! I have several chapters done already, so here we go.
> 
> Things you need to know: This is the third and final installment of my current series. It follows Give Up The Fight and It Don't Come Easy. At first it might seem like you can read this quite well without having read those stories, but I certainly encourage you to read those first because the later chapters will have references to the events that have happened there.
> 
> Things between the Planeteers will be put right, but this story largely focuses on their first mission together in ten years. Yay, a Planeteer mission! WITH CAPTAIN PLANET. :D
> 
> As a result, their relationships and interactions take place over a long period of time, so please don't expect a lot of fluffy Wheeler/Linka moments straight away ;) Just have faith in me to get there eventually and we'll be okay! :p
> 
> The title is taken from the Patty Griffin song 'Icicles' - I figured I should stick with her, given that she's titled the other two fics in this series! :)
> 
> Do let me know what you think. The chapters to this story will be shorter, so hopefully some of you will find things easier to get through. :)
> 
> Don't forget where we left things off in the last story - the Planeteers were about to fly to Antarctica to take on Dr. Blight - their first mission in 10 years.

 

 **  
**

_Tonight_

 _It might look pretty bad_

 _We might lose everything_

 _We thought that we had_

 _But shadows will pass_

 _Smoke, it will clear_

 _If something survives of us around here_

**  
**

 

The wind buffeted the geo-cruiser relentlessly, scattering ice chips and hard rain against the windows. Kwame clung to the controls desperately, his muscles tensed as he tried to keep the vehicle steady.

"Gi, tell me where I can land," he said desperately, sweat on his brow.

Gi gnawed her lip, her fingers digging into the back of Kwame's chair as she leaned over him, the ring on her right hand sending out bright pulses of blue light.

"It's all just snow," she croaked. "There's nothing solid down there. I can only feel the snow – but I've never done this before, Kwame..."

He shook his head and she trailed off, glancing back over her shoulder worriedly. Linka's face was pale and Wheeler didn't look too well either, though he was currently distracted with helping Ma-Ti and Kwame stabilise the geo-cruiser's flight, leaning across the back of Ma-Ti's seat to help him hold the controls steady.

The storm had hit suddenly, and with ruthless abandon. For the past half hour, they had been trying to find an outcrop of rock or ice – anything solid enough to land the geo-cruiser on until the wind and the driving sleet died down.

The cruiser lurched suddenly, tilting sideways and catching another rough current of air, cart-wheeling through the blizzard. Gi and Wheeler were tossed roughly around the cabin and Kwame gave a yell as he wrenched furiously at the controls, trying to straighten up again.

Ma-Ti looked over his shoulder desperately. "Are you all right?"

Wheeler scrambled to his knees and grabbed Gi around the waist, hauling her into the nearest seat. "Put your seatbelt on," he gasped. He grabbed Linka's hand and used her anchored weight to haul himself up before he stumbled to the back of the geo-cruiser, tilting and rolling with each rough movement of the aircraft.

"Ma-Ti," Kwame gasped. "I need you to –"

"I've got it," Ma-Ti promised, gripping the controls in front of him with white knuckles.

Kwame looked back towards Gi desperately. "Gi, try again."

"I can't!" she cried anxiously.

"Please," he urged. "You can. I know you can..."

She winced and clenched her fist. _Water_.

Blue pulses throbbed from her ring again and she closed her eyes as the uncomfortably-familiar feeling washed over her. For a moment her body raced through the cold blue depths of the snow and ice beneath her, travelling the water particles and shifting the heaping white mounds aside in a desperate search for something solid.

"It's too deep," she breathed, already feeling exhausted. "It's too deep and it's too unstable. You felt it too, when you searched for earth or rock..." She locked eyes with Kwame again. "There's nothing for us to land on until we reach the mountains near Blight's base."

Kwame turned back to the front of the geo-cruiser anxiously, feeling the wind buffet the streamlined shape of the vehicle and threaten to tear it out of his control again. "We cannot be too far away."

"The radar is still jammed," Ma-Ti said. "If she has seen us coming..."

"She's jammed it," Wheeler spat. "Of course she's jammed it. She wants us to fly straight into a mountain."

"Well, lucky for us, Blight does not always get what she wants," Kwame said firmly, fixing his eyes to the front again.

It was useless – they were flying blind. Snow and ice spattered and froze against the windows of the geo-cruiser, and the wind tossed the vehicle around like a cork.

"Landing in the snow has to be safer than this," Ma-Ti gasped.

"If we land, we may not take off again," Kwame said worriedly. "But I do not think we have a choice. We can –"

He gasped and wrenched at the controls as a strong gale of wind slammed into the front of the geo-cruiser, forcing the nose upwards. The body of the aircraft caught the wind like a sail and went spinning through the air, its passengers helpless to do anything but hang on tightly as the world whipped past them in a flurry of white ice.

Linka moved first – survival instinct kicked in and she threw her hands up in front of her face, the glimpse of a white bank of snow through the windows prompting her to brace herself. She heard Gi scream, and Kwame shouted something at them all over the roar of the storm, before the geo-cruiser slammed into the snow and the windows blew inwards, shattering glass across all of them.

xXx

It could only have been a few seconds. But a lot had happened in those few seconds. Linka blinked and squinted against the cold flurry of snow that swept against her face. She held her hand up, confused for a moment about the intruding snow, until she saw the front of the geo-cruiser.

Ma-Ti was shifting slowly, easing up into a sitting position. Shattered glass tinkled and fell as he moved gingerly. The front of the geo-cruiser was smashed in. Large piles of snow from a thick bank had been forced through the front windows. Smoke drifted out from under the control panel, which was littered with broken glass and droplets of blood.

"Babe?"

Linka turned and found Wheeler at her side. He was shivering and pale.

" _Da,_ I am okay." She unbuckled her seatbelt shakily. "Kwame..."

Wheeler shifted his eyes to the front of the geo-cruiser. Ma-Ti and Gi were carefully unbuckling Kwame from the pilot's seat, easing him away from the smoking control panel.

"Is he hurt?" Wheeler asked anxiously.

Ma-Ti nodded, looking frightened as he helped Gi drag Kwame backwards, to the back of the geo-cruiser.

Gi swiped at her temple with the back of her hand, meeting blood of her own. Her head throbbed.

"Is everyone okay?" Ma-Ti asked them desperately. "No broken bones?"

"I'm okay," Wheeler muttered, looking worriedly at Kwame's still form.

"I think I hit my head," Gi said, rummaging in her pocket for a handkerchief. "I'll be okay."

"I am okay," Linka assured them all. "Kwame is bleeding..." She tugged the first aid kit out from under the seat at the back and rummaged for cotton and plaster.

They huddled together, piling themselves around the unconscious Earth Planeteer, shivering and at a loss as to what to do next. The silence that had settled around them spooked them more than the fury of the storm.

That fury had lessened significantly. Though a fierce wind continued to buffet the side of the geo-cruiser, the snow and driving rain had stopped, and there was a sharp clarity and icy edge to the air.

"Why didn't we see that storm on the radar?" Wheeler asked, shivering and rubbing at a bruise on his elbow. "We're not stupid enough to fly straight into something like that."

"There was nothing _on_ the radar, thanks to Blight," Gi answered tiredly. Ma-Ti shook her gently, warning her not to fall asleep. One unconscious Planeteer was more than enough.

Linka rubbed her thumb over the plaster she'd placed across the gash on Kwame's brow. He hadn't stirred.

"How far is Blight's base?" she asked, tucking her legs beneath her and folding her arms, cuddling into herself against the cold.

"A few miles, I think?" Gi estimated. "Three or four – maybe more, maybe less. We were blown a little off-course."

Linka chewed her lip. "Do you think she is capable of causing a weather pattern like that?"

"It happened awfully suddenly," Ma-Ti said slowly. "All the things she has achieved... A snow storm does not seem out of reach, considering her past technology. And it is usually so dry down here – there was something about that storm that was not natural."

"Great," Wheeler muttered. "We're off to a fantastic start. We haven't even seen her yet, and already she's tried to kill us in a giant snowball fight."

Another rush of wind blew in through the shattered windows, sending a flurry of snow and smoke towards the Planeteers, still huddled at the back.

"What do we do?" Gi asked desperately. "Abandon ship?"

"If we had somewhere else to go, sure!" Wheeler answered. He reached over and squeezed Kwame's shoulder. "Kwame, wake up, man. We need Captain Planet."

Linka watched Kwame's face anxiously and shook her head. "He is hurt," she breathed, feeling close to tears. "It could be a long time before he is awake..."

"Well at least smother that smoke with some snow or something," Wheeler said desperately, looking at Gi.

She used her ring to pile snow across the smoking control panel, wondering what further damage she was causing in the process.

"So we're stuck here," Wheeler sighed, slumping back against the wall.

"Only until Kwame wakes up," Ma-Ti answered. "Then we can call Captain Planet and we will get to safety."

Gi glanced around at the shattered glass and twisted metal that had previously harboured them from the icy winds and snow. "I hope Kwame doesn't take too long," she said, shivering. "I'm not sure how long we can sit here like this."

xXx

One eye – one bright, blue eye – watched the smoking wreckage on a high-resolution monitor.

"Scan for survivors," was the request. The voice was soft; inquisitive. Curious and demanding at the same time.

"Four conscious forms," was the reply. "Five heartbeats."

"Hm." Blight tilted her head slightly at her long-term companion. "I guess we have to bring our A-game, MAL baby."

MAL smirked back at her. "I do love your games, Doctor."

xXx


	2. The Upper Hand

 

"Kwame..." Linka leaned over the Earth Planeteer desperately.

It had been an hour. The four conscious Planeteers had piled themselves around Kwame, but even body heat wasn't enough to stave off the intrusive wind that kept finding its way through the twisted metal wreckage of the geo-cruiser.

Kwame hadn't woken. Without him, the Planeteers couldn't call Captain Planet for help – and discussions about leaving the geo-cruiser had been abandoned after realising how foolish it would be to wander off into the snow with no real sense of direction or distance to the nearest point of safety.

Linka had attempted a repair on the monitors, but the wreckage was too pronounced for her to save any of the computer technology the geo-cruiser had previously offered. Now she was focusing on Kwame again, but he was still unresponsive.

Gi, too, seemed to be suffering ill-effects of the crash. She had been dozing against Ma-Ti's shoulder, despite his insistence that she stay awake. He wasn't sure how seriously she had been injured, but any knock on the head was a bad one, as far as he was concerned, and he wanted to keep her as alert as possible.

She had tried, knowing he was right, but she was sandwiched between Ma-Ti and Kwame, and it was warm, and her head ached so much it was difficult to resist the idea of sleep.

Another gust of icy wind blew in and they winced and shifted, huddling together, pulling the geo-cruiser's small stock of emergency blankets around their shoulders.

Wheeler cocked his head suddenly. "Anyone else hear that?"

Linka shifted her head against his shoulder, looking up at him. "What?"

"It's a motor or something..." He extracted himself from the blankets, swearing to himself as he left the warm nest of body heat he'd created with the others.

"What is it?" Ma-Ti asked, watching Wheeler as he stumbled across the glass-littered floor of the geo-cruiser to crane his neck out of one of the holes in the twisted metal.

Wheeler squinted across the landscape, watching the snow shift and scatter beneath the wind which raced over it. His eyes fixed upon something drawing closer at reckless speed.

"Wheeler? Do you see something?" Linka's voice floated up to him.

He ducked below again, withdrawing from the direct blast of the wind. "Who do we know with a pink snow-mobile?" he asked, his jaw tightening.

xXx

Blight stepped neatly away from her vehicle, her thick boots leaving large prints and impressions in the newly-built snow bank. The storm had driven the snow and ice up against the base of the mountain, and the geo-cruiser had slammed straight into it.

She waited patiently, her good eye fixated upon the gaping escape hatch in the side of the Planeteer's destroyed vehicle.

The first appearance of the geo-cruiser on her security monitors had been a shock – but only a temporary one. She wasn't foolish enough to think the Planeteers were gone forever – she had been sure that they would meet again. It had just been a matter of when.

She leaned against the side of her vehicle, knowing that they'd emerge. She couldn't say she wasn't nervous – if they called Captain Planet she wasn't sure she had the technology to stop him. It had been very tempting to forget about Captain Planet and the many failures he had forced upon Blight over the years.

After realising that the Planeteers had disappeared, Blight had been overwhelmed by the new possibilities she was faced with. However, she – unlike so many of the other eco-villains – had taken her time to develop a plan. It could have been easy to follow the likes of Hoggish Greedly and Sly Sludge – those who had simply run themselves into the ground thanks to an overwhelming urge to attempt something beyond their means.

She watched as a hand appeared at the edge of the wreckage, and slowly, the first Planeteer emerged.

She was faintly surprised when she recognised him. She had expected Gaia to bring in fresh recruits, but this Planeteer was instantly recognisable, despite being ten years older than the one she remembered.

He glowered at her when he saw her, staggering to his feet, shivering in the rough wind despite the thick jacket he was wearing.

She smirked back at him, waiting for him to speak first.

"Are you here to help, or just watch?" Wheeler asked sarcastically.

"I could ask you the same thing, Sparky," she answered, folding her arms across her chest. "You're in _my_ neighbourhood, remember?"

"Can't say I approve of what you're doing with it," he answered, turning back to the geo-cruiser to help the next Planeteer out – the blonde.

"What do you know about what I'm doing with it?" Blight asked curiously.

"Drilling and mining the natural resources down here?" Linka asked furiously, unable to stay silent. "How can you do such things?"

"Very easily," Blight said, watching Wheeler pull Ma-Ti out of the wreckage of the geo-cruiser. "It's not exactly difficult to jam satellite surveillance equipment, you know." She smirked again. "Or radars."

Linka glared at her. "You nearly killed us."

Blight chuckled. "You're saying that like it's a bad thing."

Ma-Ti gazed at her steadily and Blight found herself breaking eye-contact first. He had to be in his mid-twenties now, and his tall stature surprised her. But it wasn't his physical attributes that put her on edge – she had never fully understood the Heart Planeteer's power. He had a deeper connection to the others somehow, and she hated the fact that she couldn't tell exactly when he was using that connection or the power Gaia had given him. She trusted him far less than she trusted any of the others, purely because she understood him less.

"Kwame and Gi have been hurt in the crash," he called to her across the short distance of roughened snow. "We need you to take us back to your base."

She scoffed. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Ma-Ti asked in surprise, turning to help Gi out of the geo-cruiser. She sank into the snow tiredly as Wheeler dropped back inside the wreckage.

"So what?" Blight asked.

"I was under the impression you were here for more than a simple hello," Ma-Ti answered, still paying more attention to his Planeteer friends than he was to her. "You were planning on taking us back with you anyway, right?"

Blight scowled, unable to answer him with anything different. She supposed she _had_ planned to take them back with her – but it hadn't been a conscious decision, and it was certainly not a gesture of goodwill.

Gi sagged sideways and Linka grabbed her, pulling Gi's arm around her shoulders and standing again so Gi was slumped against her.

"I think I hit my head harder than I thought..." Gi whispered tiredly.

Linka just nodded and watched anxiously as Ma-Ti and Wheeler negotiated Kwame's limp form from the geo-cruiser. The Earth Planeteer stirred and blinked for a moment as the icy wind rushed at them, but his eyes soon closed again.

"I'm not just going to take you back to my base so you can stop my latest experiments," Blight said angrily. "I'm just here to find out what the hell's going on. Why are you back?"

"To stop your latest experiments," Wheeler grunted, hoisting Kwame's arm across his shoulders and supporting him with the help of Ma-Ti.

Blight raked her gaze across the five of them and smirked. "Well, I'd hate to miss an opportunity to entertain visitors," she said. "Unfortunately, the transport back is going to cost you."

"Cost us what?" Linka asked impatiently.

"Your rings," Blight answered, turning up the collar of her fur coat. "I don't want any little 'mishaps' while I have my back turned."

"No way," Wheeler fumed.

"Then toodle-oo, Planeteers." Blight turned her back and stepped towards her modified snow-mobile. It was a truck of a thing, really – huge and bulky, but light-weight enough to be able to slice through snow like a hot knife through butter. She drove it often – usually towards terrified seals, forcing them back into the ocean just for kicks.

"Wait," Gi croaked. "You can take my ring. But just mine. We can't call Captain Planet anyway..."

"Gi, don't," Wheeler hissed.

She turned to him, blood frozen against her face. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't use it feeling like this anyway, and I'm cold, and we have to get Kwame inside..." She trailed off helplessly.

Wheeler shifted Kwame's weight on his shoulders and turned to Blight, who was standing by and watching them curiously.

"Fine," he answered softly.

Gi raised her chin and called over the wind to Blight. "You can have my ring. But just mine."

"No deal," Blight said airily. "Enjoy the next storm – it's forecast to be a big one!" She gave a pealing laugh, throwing her head back in delight.

The familiar sound sent a terrible thrill down each Planeteer's spine.

Linka turned desperately to Wheeler. "We have no choice," she said. "We give her our rings now and we figure it out later. If she leaves us here we will die."

Wheeler nodded in resignation.

"Blight!" Linka shouted. "You can have our rings. But you have to shelter us from the cold."

Blight held out her hand expectantly and Ma-Ti collected the Planeteer rings slowly, dragging Kwame's ring from his limp finger and dropping them all into Blight's open palm.

She laughed again and clambered up into her vehicle. "All aboard then."

xXx

Blight's base didn't look like much from the outside – a moderately-sized, grey building built into the base of the mountain – but the Planeteers had no intention of underestimating her. They followed her towards it, Kwame finally awake but stumbling and still needing Wheeler and Ma-Ti to help him.

"What is going on?" he breathed, squinting against the glare of the sun on the snow.

"Blight has the upper hand right now," Wheeler admitted. "Don't worry, man. We'll be okay. How's your head?"

Kwame just closed his eyes again and let them drag him inside.

The building had seemed small from the outside, but the inside seemed to stretch forever – it had been built deep into the mountain. A long corridor stretched in front of the Planeteers, lit with hundreds of florescent lights that reflected on the white floor, resulting in a glare that Blight appeared well-adjusted to.

"How the hell did you get this built?" Wheeler asked, still shivering. It was still cold inside the building – but it was dry, and sheltered from the cold-burning wind.

Blight looked annoyed and didn't answer him. He figured the answer would have been something complicated and related to technology he wouldn't even be able to comprehend, let alone understand.

"Let us get Kwame and Gi somewhere warm," Linka demanded, still holding Gi up. Gi was doing her best to stand alone, knowing that neither she nor Linka was particularly comfortable with the close contact – but her vision was starting to swim and all she wanted to do was lie down.

Blight watched them all for a moment and then sighed, unbuttoning her fur coat and marching away down the corridor. They followed, not sure what else they could do.

"Quite a fortress of solitude you've got here," Wheeler said dryly, glancing around at the many closed doors they were passing.

"I'm not alone," Blight answered sharply, still shedding her outer layers.

"Oh, right," Wheeler answered, hefting Kwame again. "I'd forgotten about MAL."

A door to their right slid open abruptly, and Blight disappeared through it. The Planeteers followed her, Kwame and Gi both stumbling and needing to be held up by the others.

Everything was white – the floors, the walls, the surfaces, the furniture. Blight was the only exception – her pink suit hadn't changed at all, and she took a moment to flick an imaginary speck of dust from her sleeve before she sank into an armchair and crossed her legs, smirking up at them.

"Have a seat."

"I think we will stand," Linka said, feeling ill. It had become painfully obvious that the furniture had been upholstered with the fur of several poor animals. They weren't sure what it was, exactly – polar bears were absent from Antarctica – but the fur looked similar, and none of the Planeteers felt they could go near it.

"Suit yourselves," Blight answered coolly. "So to what do I owe the pleasure? It's been a while..."

"Well we're here now," Wheeler snapped. "So whatever it is you're up to –"

"I'm shaking in my boots," Blight snapped back at him, and then she laughed, tipping her head back again. "You all look so self-righteous," she said breathlessly. "It's ridiculous. I've been here almost nine years now and it's going to take more than a bunch of arrogant hippie-freaks to move me."

"Why _are_ you here?" Linka asked furiously. "Are you doing more than mining the minerals here?"

"Much more," Blight drawled. "And given that I'm about to finish what I've been working on, I refuse to believe that your arrival is coincidental, so cut the crap and drop the act of ignorance, will you?"

"How about you extend your hospitality a little and let us get Kwame and Gi cleaned up?" Wheeler asked. Kwame's weight was starting to grow heavier and heavier, though the Earth Planeteer was doing his best to stand alone whenever he felt strong enough.

Blight waved her hand towards another door set into the wall, and the Planeteers headed for it, each of them silently fuming about how things had progressed so far.

The door clicked shut behind them, solidly, and when Linka pushed against it, it refused to budge.

"We are locked in," she said in disgust, turning back to help Gi onto a bunk that ran along the wall.

"We'll figure something out," Wheeler breathed, stretching his back after easing Kwame down onto the thin mattress beside Gi. "Are you guys okay?"

"Just dizzy," Gi sighed, closing her eyes. "Headache."

Ma-Ti had discovered a first-aid kit, and set about cleaning the blood from the side of Gi's face. "You will have to put up with the headache for a while," he apologised. "I cannot give you any aspirin yet, Gi."

"Okay," she sighed, closing her eyes.

Kwame blinked tiredly, trying to stay awake. "What is going on?" he asked. "Where are we?"

"In Blight's lab," Wheeler said, sitting beside him. "Do you remember the crash?"

Kwame nodded. "Are all of you okay?"

"We are fine," Linka assured him. "Relax."

He sagged a little, but watched on quietly as Ma-Ti finished cleaning the blood from Gi's face.

Wheeler took Linka's hand. "You okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded and gripped his fingers. "We need to get our rings back."

"I know."

Linka looked around – they were surrounded by four solid white walls. They weren't plaster – there was a polished sheen to them, and when she touched them they were hard and cold. The door had slid closed behind them and there was no handle or visible release for it. The furniture was basic and plain – four bunk beds against the walls, a sink in the corner, the first-aid kit and a white plastic chair. In the other corner, a silver disc, wide and perfectly round, sat built into the floor – possibly a remnant of another piece of furniture that had since been removed.

Something was... wrong, however. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"What is it?" Wheeler asked.

She shook her head, frowning, running her eyes over the walls. "I am not sure... Something is bothering me."

Ma-Ti grinned up at her. "I feel a little bothered too, but I'm sure we'll figure something out."

"Hm," Linka said, running her eyes over the flat white ceiling. "I did not notice on the way in, but – did anyone see any security cameras? Televisions or monitors?"

"Nope," Wheeler answered. "Why?"

Linka frowned again, puzzled, and turned back to him. "Blight is always surrounded by cameras and monitors," she said. "But I cannot see any."

"So?" Wheeler asked, shrugging. "It's been ten years. Maybe she's changed her M.O."

Linka gazed around at them all. "Well if that is the case, where is MAL?"

xXx


	3. MAL

 

Blight lit herself a thin cigar and blew a smoke ring into the air. Smoking wasn't something she did often, but she enjoyed it and it was a luxury she allowed herself now and then if things were going well.

The Planeteers showing up certainly weren't an indication that things were going well – but she was pleased that they were locked away for the moment, and she had their rings tucked into her hip pocket.

She dragged on her cigar and leaned back in her chair, thinking carefully. Her advances over the past ten years were too important to risk losing – and while she had always expected the Planeteers to return, she had to admit that she wasn't exactly prepared for it.

She rose out of her chair and strolled back into the corridor, heading for the back of the building to her main laboratory, where most of her work had taken place. Beneath her, she could hear the familiar throb of the generators as they pumped power into the building.

"MAL," she called breezily as she entered the lab, "Come here."

"I'm always here, Doctor," came the droll reply.

She smirked and turned to him. "We've got visitors."

"I'm aware," he answered. "What are we going to do with them?"

"I'm not sure," she answered, dragging on her cigar again. "Do you have any suggestions? I suppose we could just do away with them – their vehicle crashed into the base of that mountain, after all. They'd be dead if it weren't for me bringing them here."

"I thought you caused that crash?" he asked in amusement.

"Details," she answered, waving her hand flippantly. She watched MAL for a moment, a wave of that always-odd affection coursing through her.

She knew what others thought. And she supposed she _was_ quite mad, really. But the opinions and meddling of other people was what had driven her down here in the first place. Isolation suited Blight, and Antarctica was such a hostile environment she was able to work in peace, with little investigation from outside sources.

Antarctica wasn't entirely deserted, but it was such a sprawling, raw sort of place it was easy to forget about the other scientific stations located there. She had hidden her base well – drilling deep into the mountainside using sophisticated machinery and techniques. Hiding her presence had been a cinch – she was always three or four steps in front of the satellite technology that was used to map the continent. Nobody had any clue she was there, and thanks to international laws, the military wasn't likely to come roaring in on her at any moment either.

She left her cigar smouldering in an ashtray on the centre counter as she strolled around the centrepiece of the room. It wasn't huge, exactly, but it was certainly impressive, and she was ready to start trials on it any day now. She had given it a retro look – rather unassuming and adorable, really, like a giant ray gun that would be at home in the 50's – all round curves and globes and a finish that was reminiscent of Bakelite.

She ran her gloved fingers over the surface and turned back to MAL. "This is ready to be tested on living beings," she said slowly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you meant penguins."

"I'd have to test it on human subjects sooner or later," she said, her voice growing high-pitched with excitement.

"Yourself, I'd assumed," MAL answered.

She glared at him. "Do you have an answer for everything?"

"Yes," he replied.

She ran her hand through her hair, briefly revealing the scarred side of her face to him. "Well in that case, go and say hello to the Planeteers," she snarled. "And come back and tell me who my first subject should be."

MAL disappeared with a soft hiss of static.

xXx

"It's not bleeding anymore, but I think you'll have a scar," Ma-Ti said, inspecting Kwame's brow. He began to bandage the gash again.

"Let us hope that is the worst of what happens here," Kwame breathed.

Wheeler kicked the door furiously. He and Linka had been trying to get it open for the past half hour, but it hadn't moved or given any indication that it could even open at all. It had simply slid into place and stayed locked there.

He turned back to the silver disc in the corner. It was set into the floor and he felt a strange draw to it.

"What _is_ that thing?" he asked for the tenth time.

Linka glanced at it again. "I am not sure, but it makes me uncomfortable."

"Well maybe it has something to do with the door," Wheeler said, heading for it.

"I am not sure it is a good idea to mess around with it," Linka protested nervously.

"Why not?" He stomped on it fiercely, but nothing happened. "It has to do _something_ ," he said, standing back and glaring down at it.

It sparked, suddenly, and Wheeler jumped back. Linka grabbed his hand.

"What did you do, Yankee?" she hissed.

There was a loud buzz of static, and they all shrank back as a semi-transparent form flickered in front of them, projected up from the disc in the floor.

"Planeteers," he greeted them.

He was wearing a blue suit, and he was tall and rather thin, but there was no mistaking his voice or his face – which hadn't changed in all the years they'd known him.

"MAL," Linka breathed. "You are – full... A person..."

"Handsome, aren't I?" he asked, turning around as though to show off his three-dimensional body.

"Hardly," Gi scoffed, her eyes fixed upon him from where she remained sitting on the bunk.

"I'm thinking of asking Doctor Blight to give me bigger biceps," MAL said, turning to face them again. "But enough about me. Look at all of _you_. Oh, my. You _have_ grown."

They all glared back at him, each of them trying to hide the fact that they felt rather intimidated.

His eyes settled on Linka. "I have to say, I admire the program you developed," he said. "It took me a full three days to break, the first time I came across it."

Linka gritted her teeth.

"And you," he drawled, his eyes on Wheeler, "Your name cropped up now and then. I believe you're the reason Looten Plunder lost so much cash a few years ago and was forced to flee to Mexico for a while."

Wheeler smirked. "Serves him right."

"Hm," MAL hummed, inspecting his nails. He glanced at Ma-Ti. "Your name is all over environmental treaties in South America." He tilted his head at Gi and Kwame. "You two dropped off the face of the planet. What happened?"

Gi took Kwame's hand and they sat there in stubborn silence.

MAL chuckled. "Never mind. Doctor Blight needs a volunteer. Any takers?"

"You can tell Doctor Blight to –"

Ma-Ti cut Wheeler off neatly. "I will volunteer," he said pleasantly. "What does she need?"

MAL ran his eyes up and down Ma-Ti. "Fine," he sighed. "Let's go and give her the good news."

The door hissed open and the Planeteers all looked around in alarm.

"Ma-Ti, splitting up is not a good idea," Linka said desperately.

Ma-Ti just grinned. "I'll be okay," he assured her. "I will be back soon."

MAL snorted and Kwame glared at him.

Ma-Ti headed through the door, which hurriedly slid shut again.

Wheeler turned to MAL furiously. "If he gets hurt, I'll –"

"Hush," MAL answered. A blue crackle of electricity shot towards Wheeler from the silver disc MAL stood on. He yelped and ducked, and when he looked back to the corner, MAL was gone.

xXx

Almost immediately after returning to the room Blight had first led them into, Ma-Ti was greeted by MAL's figure projected on the wall. He was two-dimensional again, and he looked impatient.

"This way," he drawled. The door beside him swung open.

Ma-Ti stepped back into the corridor, feeling nervous and curious at the same time.

MAL's image starting pacing down the corridor, still showing against the wall. It almost appeared as though he were _inside_ it. Ma-Ti touched the wall as he followed him, feeling its cool, smooth surface beneath his fingertips. He had no idea what it was made of, but MAL was obviously able to travel across it and access the doors electronically via hidden circuits.

"Do you mind?" MAL asked. "You're leaving fingerprints on my data."

"Sorry," Ma-Ti apologised.

MAL marched ahead again, taking long, silent strides.

"She didn't think to give you footsteps?" Ma-Ti asked curiously.

"I prefer the silent approach," MAL answered.

"Ah," Ma-Ti replied. "What about hair? You are balding at the back there."

MAL turned and glared at him. "What of it?"

"Nothing," Ma-Ti answered innocently. "I was just wondering if you were finished yet."

"Finished?" MAL spluttered. "Look at me! I'm wonderful! Doctor Blight is an incredible woman and to even _comprehend_ the technology I'm composed of would send most scientists _insane._ "

"I believe you," Ma-Ti answered, nodding.

MAL continued on, muttering to himself, and disappeared beyond a set of doors at the end of the corridor. After a moment they swung open, and Ma-Ti found himself in Doctor Blight's main laboratory.

She raked her eyes up and down Ma-Ti, and he recognised that familiar anxiety that seemed to overtake her body language.

He could _feel_ it coming off her, even without his ring. She was terrified of him, and though he could only take a guess as to why, he was a little relieved. Blight wasn't exactly sensible in her approach to things, and being at the hands of a reckless scientist wasn't Ma-Ti's idea of a good day. To have her feel intimidated gave him the impression of having an advantage over her.

"He volunteered," MAL drawled, standing in the wall by the door.

Blight glared at him. "I told you to report to me, not to bring one of them out here!"

MAL looked hurt. "That's what you were _planning_ to do," he said, pouting.

Blight sighed and turned her attention back to Ma-Ti. "You," she snapped. "Over there." She pointed to the far wall.

Ma-Ti eyed the giant gun-shaped object in the middle of the room. "Uh, I think I will stay here," he said. "I thought we could talk for a moment."

"Just get over there!" Blight snarled, her patience having long been left behind.

"It has been ten years," Ma-Ti said pleasantly. "Don't you want to chat for a while?"

"No, I don't," she snapped.

Ma-Ti rocked back and forth on his heels and closed his eyes for a moment. "Mm-hm," he sighed.

Blight froze and watched him. "What are you doing?"

Ma-Ti opened his eyes. "Sorry?"

"What are you doing?" she asked furiously.

"Oh, nothing. What's this?" He nodded towards the object in the middle of the room.

"Get against the wall and I'll show you," Blight responded.

Ma-Ti let his eyes glaze over for a moment and he tilted his head, as though listening to something silent that Blight wasn't aware of.

"Stop it," she said nervously. "What are you doing?"

"No, nothing," he murmured again, blinking and focusing on her. "You were saying?"

She turned to MAL. "Get him out of here," she said. "Now."

"Why?" MAL asked.

"Just do it!" she shrieked hysterically. "Bring me one of the others! Any of them! Any one of them! Just get him out of here!"

"I will stop," Ma-Ti apologised. "It is just that Captain Planet is a little lost."

Blight froze and turned on her heel to face him again. "What?"

"Well, it has been ten years," Ma-Ti said. "Not to mention he has an extremely thick layer of ice to negotiate his way through on the way up from the centre of the Earth."

"But I have your rings," Blight stammered, pulling them out of her pocket and slamming them down on the counter. "I have all five of them!"

"Right," Ma-Ti agreed. "But we spent a long time flying through that storm. And a long time sitting in the geo-cruiser afterwards..."

Blight blinked. "When did you call him?"

Ma-Ti smiled pleasantly and shrugged. "Jet lag," he explained. "My body clock is a little confused. I am not sure what time it was."

Blight turned furiously to MAL. "Separate them!" she shouted at him. "All of them! I want them split up, and I want _him_ out of here."

"Yes, Doctor," MAL answered obediently. "This way, planet pest."

The doors behind Ma-Ti opened again. Blight had turned her back and was frantically tugging at her hair, muttering to herself. Ma-Ti cast a longing look at the rings on the counter before he turned and followed MAL's image back up the corridor.

xXx

The four Planeteers MAL and Ma-Ti had left behind looked up in surprise as the door slid open again and Ma-Ti strolled in.

"Are you okay?" Linka asked anxiously, pulling herself out of Wheeler's arms and scrambling to her feet.

"Fine," Ma-Ti said innocently, flicking his eyes to the corner. MAL stood in his full 3D glory again, adjusting his suit as though the transfer from the wall to the disc had caused it to wrinkle.

"You're all going to get a little tour," he said, sounding a little bored. "You first." He shot a jet of electricity towards Wheeler, who gave a yell and ducked.

"Quit it!" he roared.

MAL smirked. "Through the doors and take the third door on the left. Hurry up."

"Make me," Wheeler fumed.

MAL glanced to the floor and Wheeler jumped back as he saw blue panels of light tracking towards him. He had no desire to have them connect with his feet. He looked to the others desperately.

"Go ahead, Wheeler," Ma-Ti said softly.

Wheeler swallowed and glared at MAL again before he turned to the others. "I'll see you later," he promised, his voice sounding rough.

Linka reached for his hand. For the first time she felt afraid – she hadn't truly been separated from Wheeler since he'd found her in Moscow, and she didn't appreciate the fact that the first time they'd be split up was under Blight's supervision.

"I'll catch you later, babe," he whispered, squeezing her fingers. "Okay?"

She blinked nervously and nodded, unable to voice her own thoughts in response to him. The door slammed shut after he'd passed through it, and MAL disappeared – presumably to make sure Wheeler followed the directions he'd been given.

"What is going on, Ma-Ti?" Kwame asked worriedly.

Ma-Ti shook his head, not sure exactly how far MAL's surveillance spread. "Blight knows Captain Planet is on his way," he said, giving Kwame a meaningful look.

Kwame blinked and nodded. "Okay."

"I think his first stop will be the end of the corridor," Ma-Ti whispered.

Linka bit her lip, wishing she knew exactly what they could expect.

Ma-Ti turned to her, glancing to the silver disc in the corner. "Go the wrong way," he whispered. "Make MAL follow you."

MAL flickered back onto the silver disc, looking cheerful. "Next!" he sang. "Let's go, water-works. Fourth door on the left."

Gi got slowly to her feet, looking pale. "See you guys later," she said.

Ma-Ti smiled at her and she left, the door opening to allow her to exit before closing rapidly.

MAL returned again a minute later, and smirked at Linka. "Let's go, blondie. Fifth door on the left."

Linka bid a nervous goodbye to the others and stepped back into the room they'd first been shown into. The door in the opposite wall slid open, though there was no sign of Blight or MAL.

She crossed the room and entered the corridor again. A few doors down, there was a soft hiss, and she knew the fifth door on the left had just opened, indicating her new 'accommodation'.

She purposely strode in the wrong direction, wondering why, exactly, Ma-Ti had instructed her to do so.

She soon found out – MAL appeared as a 2D projection on the wall beside her, spluttering furiously.

"Can't you tell left from right?" he fumed. "Other way!"

She ran her eyes over his image. "Which way?"

He gave a short bark of impatience and pointed. She turned slowly and wandered back down the corridor, silently counting the doors. She sent a soft thought of affection to the third door on the left, knowing Wheeler was shut inside.

MAL marched alongside her, looking furious. "Don't try anything," he warned her.

"I would not dream of it," Linka assured him coldly. "And your tie is crooked."

He stopped and wrestled with his tie, glaring at her. "It is not."

She smirked and entered the fifth door on the left. It slid shut behind her and the lights dimmed immediately, throwing the bunk bed, sink and toilet into shadow. She was obviously to spend the night there. But it didn't matter – she knew now what Ma-Ti had been trying to tell her.

Everything she needed was inside the wall – the surfaces were giant touch-sensitive panels, and MAL was present inside all of them. Linka was certain that each room hid an electrical pane somewhere – Blight wasn't careless enough to risk being locked inside a room.

Linka stood in the middle of her small cell and ran her eyes over the glossy white walls and ceiling. Somewhere in here, there was a touch panel that would open up a whole new possibility of escape.

xXx


	4. Purely a Hypothesis

 

Linka sighed and ran her eyes over the wall again. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd started, exactly, but her back was starting to hurt from standing for so long, and her eyes felt strained after studying the clean white walls of her cell.

She knew that the secret to her escape was as simple as finding the right touch-sensitive area on the wall. Somehow, Blight had rigged everything as a giant, wireless system of cellular technology. It was all a huge display monitor, and MAL was obviously able to travel through it with ease, projecting himself and accessing doors and lights without ever betraying evidence of a single wire or button.

The main problem, however, was that Linka could see no indication of an access panel. For the hundredth time, she told herself there had to be one in every room. Blight surely knew the dangers of malfunctions and short circuits, and she wouldn't risk a system failure without making sure there was a manual override in all possible sections.

Linka had checked all around the door, running her fingers over the surface and squinting at the wall from every possible angle. Nothing betrayed its pristine appearance.

She had finally resigned herself to checking every inch of the walls, pressing her palms and her fingers against the cool surface, slowly working her way around the room. She was beginning to feel achy and tired – not only from being on her feet for so long, but as a result from the long flight and terrifying crash-landing that had happened only hours ago.

Finally, in one of the corners of her cell, low down on the wall, Linka's hand hit a panel that lit up with blue light. She sighed and sat cross-legged on the floor to examine it. A few pokes and prods later and she'd lit up the entire display. It sent a soft glow across the room – a giant map of rails and lines. She ran her eyes over it, knowing that it held clues to how the system worked. She wasn't entirely sure she could hack into it – and she wondered if it was even possible without MAL discovering she was there – but any information she could glean from it was valuable.

"Well, here goes nothing," she whispered to herself. She gently touched the manual override for the door to her cell – it slid open quietly, and the harsh light and glare from the corridor spilled through into her room. She tiptoed outside quietly, suddenly terrified that MAL knew exactly what she was up to – that he had felt the disturbance and was racing his way through the system now to catch her.

She peered down the long length of the corridor. At the end were a set of swinging double doors, and she knew that was where she should go, if Ma-Ti's earlier comments had been any indication at all. But instead she turned away and tiptoed along the floor before ducking to search for another panel in the wall.

She found it with little trouble, and the door slid open and she hurried inside, allowing it to close again automatically after a few seconds.

Wheeler was stretched out on the narrow bunk, but he lifted his head when he heard the door. "Linka?"

She smiled. "Are you too tired to attempt an escape?"

He grinned and swung himself to his feet, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into a tight hug. "Course not," he murmured.

She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her weight against him. "Are you okay?"

"Just bored," he said with a grin. "How'd you get out?"

"Everything is touch-sensitive," she whispered. "There are hidden panels in the walls. Ma-Ti figured it out, I think. Or, at least, he helped to draw my attention to the possibility."

Wheeler sank back onto the thin mattress of the bunk, pulling her with him. "Hey," he said softly, "I didn't get a chance before... Everything happened so fast with the crash and Blight bringing us here..." He shook his head. "I want you to be careful, okay?"

She nodded. "I know. I want you to be careful too."

He grinned and pulled her down, hugging her tightly and curling around her. "Guess I forgot how dangerous things could be as a Planeteer," he said. "I was so worried about the danger we've all been to ourselves – I kinda forgot about the danger other people presented."

Linka smiled and squirmed around to face him, slinging her leg over his hip. "Do you still think we are dangers to ourselves?"

He slid his hand beneath the thick layers of sweaters and t-shirts and thermal-wear she was wrapped in, resting his hand against the dip of her waist. "Not like last time," he whispered.

She kissed him softly. "We are different people," she said. "We have had ten years to shape us and change us. Ten years to remember that mission and regret what happened." She gave him a small smile. "The mistakes we made then will not happen again."

"I swear it," he agreed, resting his forehead against hers.

She ran her fingers over his neck, stroking the hollow behind his ear. "We should go to the room at the end of the corridor," she said tiredly. "Ma-Ti indicated that we should head there if we have the chance."

Wheeler groaned and closed his eyes, wriggling against her. "I'm too tired."

"Hm," she agreed. It was tempting to just curl up against one another and sleep – it had been a long, difficult day, and now that she thought about it, the bunk didn't seem entirely uncomfortable after all, and the humming fluorescents were rather soothing, really, and Wheeler's hand at the small of her back allowed her to relax just that little bit more...

" _Nyet_ ," she blurted, rolling away from him and tumbling to the floor. "If we go to sleep we will lose the advantage we have now."

"Which is what?" Wheeler mumbled, still slumped against the mattress.

She pinched him and he jumped and sat up.

"We have to figure out our next move before Blight discovers I know how to work her computer system," Linka said. "Hurry."

She found the touch panel easily and took another moment to study the display before she opened the door.

"How did Ma-Ti figure that out?" Wheeler asked, sounding rather admiring.

"MAL can travel through the walls," Linka explained softly, nervously checking the corridor. It was deserted. "Ma-Ti figured the electronics were all there – just hidden."

She and Wheeler edged out into the bright light again. They hadn't taken three steps when a loud hiss sounded. They both jumped violently and clutched one another.

Ma-Ti grinned at them as he strode into the corridor. "Hey."

Linka sighed in relief. "You figured it out too."

"It took a while," Ma-Ti said, rubbing his eyes. "We should hurry – Blight left our rings on a counter in the back room."

"What about the others?" Wheeler asked softly. "Where are they?"

Linka pointed to two doors nearby. "Maybe we should let them sleep," she said. "They did not look well..."

Ma-Ti thought for a moment and then nodded. "We will get our rings first. Then we can help Gi and Kwame."

Wheeler sent a sorrowful glance to both doors, feeling guilty about leaving his friends trapped there – but he realised it was probably for the best. Kwame had barely been able to stand upright, and Gi hadn't exactly looked very strong either. Sleeping off their headaches would probably be for the best – so long as they woke up feeling better, not worse.

The three of them crept down the corridor nervously. The swinging doors at the end were shut neatly, and Ma-Ti peered through the porthole in one of them, looking into the large room MAL had taken him to earlier.

Blight was there, with her back to him, leaning against the large contraption in the middle.

"What do you think that is?" Ma-Ti whispered.

"Some sort of laser?" Wheeler asked softly. "I'm not sure. It looks like something George Jetson might use."

"Who?" Linka asked.

Wheeler grinned at her. "Remind me to introduce you to more cartoons later, babe."

" _More_ cartoons?" she asked wryly, raising her eyebrow.

"Whatever it is, she said it was nearly ready – remember?" Ma-Ti asked. "I do not want to give her the chance to use it..."

"Where is MAL?" Linka asked nervously.

"Over there..." Ma-Ti nodded towards the side of the room. MAL was standing on a disc, fully projected in 3D, his head tilted slightly as he listened to Blight.

Wheeler pushed the door slightly, opening it just a crack. Blight's voice floated back to them.

"...ridiculous," she was saying in disgust. "It's taken me years to get this accomplished, and the moment I'm ready to start testing it on live subjects, those hippies show up again. You can't tell me that's just a coincidence."

"Nobody but you and I know about this machine, Doctor," MAL explained patiently.

"Somebody else must know about it!" she snapped. "Nukem was wandering around here a few years ago, blowing up icebergs and soaking up UV rays. Maybe he figured something out."

"Him?" MAL sneered. "His circuits are fried. He's only got another couple of years in him before he burns up entirely."

"It doesn't mean he's not observant," Doctor Blight snapped. "I bet he came snooping around here and he figured out what I was trying to do. I bet he struck some sort of deal with those planet punks and now they're here to screw everything up."

"I think it's just a coincidence, Doctor," MAL said gently. "It's just gone ten years. Maybe they had a reunion and decided to reform. That's all."

Blight scoffed and muttered something under her breath, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's been a long day," MAL said. "You should get some beauty sleep, Doctor Dear."

Blight glared at him and he quickly dimmed, realising he'd said something wrong. "Goodnight," he blurted, disappearing.

Blight raked her fingers through her hair again and then gave the machine in the middle of the room a gentle pat. "Tomorrow," she said softly. "First thing tomorrow."

The Planeteers at the door ducked quickly.

"Open a door," Wheeler whispered to Linka. "Quick!"

She prodded around on the wall frantically, and the nearest door slid open. They hurried inside and it slid shut, enveloping them in darkness. They pressed their ears against the wall, but they could hear nothing from the other side.

"Soundproof," Linka whispered. "We will wait five minutes – she should be gone by then."

Wheeler squeezed her hand. "Any lights in here?"

Linka knelt and felt around the bottom of the wall. It took her two or three minutes to locate the panel, but soon she had the lights on.

Wheeler jumped and flattened himself against the wall. "Oh, man."

Ma-Ti clapped his hand over his mouth and Linka immediately buried her face against Wheeler's leg, suddenly feeling too weak to stand again.

It couldn't have been there long, and the cold air seemed to be keeping the smell away – but it was still a gruesome sight. An elephant seal – giant and bulking – lay mutilated and still on the floor at the other end of the room. Blood pooled around its body and sat like jelly in a shallow trench that ran to a drain in the corner.

"What is it for?" Linka asked desperately. "What has she done to it?"

Ma-Ti edged closer, but the creature was definitely dead. "It has not been dead long," he said softly. "The poor thing..."

"What does she want with it?" Wheeler asked clutching his stomach.

"I bet she tested that machine on it," Linka answered suddenly, her voice cold.

Ma-Ti nodded weakly. "Yeah, maybe. I think that's what she was going to do to me, earlier..."

Linka blanched and buried her face against Wheeler's leg again. He touched the top of her head, his fingers trembling.

"Are there any marks on it, Ma-Ti?" he asked.

Ma-Ti edged closer again, peering at the still body of the seal. It was enormous, and now that he was closer he could smell the blood and the wet, strong smell of its body.

"There are scorch marks against its throat," he said. "And it has been cut open." He shivered and backed away again. "We should get our rings back," he said desperately. "Let's hope Blight has left them on the counter."

Linka got the door open again and they made their way back into the corridor, feeling shaky. The lights above them were as bright as ever, but the room Blight and MAL had been in was dim.

"Is MAL still in there?" Wheeler asked, glancing around nervously.

"I am not sure," Linka admitted. "I do not think he can be everywhere at once – it would be too draining on the system and I am not sure Blight has the power supply to run his program at that capacity. But I am not sure where he has gone now..."

"Let's just see if our rings are in there," Wheeler muttered.

Ma-Ti nodded in agreement and slowly pushed the door open. It swung silently and they edged into the laboratory.

There was a faint smell of ammonia and bleach, and something even more unpleasant – smoke and scorched flesh, like barbeque.

"Smell that?" Wheeler asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Something has been fried," Ma-Ti answered, looking pale. "But look, our rings!" He snatched them up eagerly and pushed his ring onto his finger. He handed Wheeler and Linka their respective rings and pushed the others into his pocket.

"Any clues as to what this thing does?" Wheeler asked, nodding towards the object in the middle of the room.

Linka ran her eyes over it. There was a platform at one end, with switches and a control panel. Five round globes, growing smaller as they progressed, connected in a cone-like shape which pointed at the far wall.

"It is definitely designed to shoot something," she said nervously. "But there are no marks against that wall."

"Maybe she's just really accurate with it," Wheeler muttered, gripping Linka's hand. He wasn't about to let her go and toy around with the computer equipment that worked the thing – it made him nervous just looking at it.

"I will go and let the others out," Ma-Ti whispered. "See if you can find out what that thing does – maybe there are design sheets lying around."

They nodded and moved towards the counters and cupboards at the side of the room as Ma-Ti slipped back into the corridor.

"Here," Linka said, pulling at a bunch of papers. "Do you understand any of this?"

Wheeler glanced down at the scattered calculations and formulas scrawled across the paper. "Do I look like the sort of person who would understand that?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

She smiled and shrugged, running her eyes over the various pages. "Now and then I get my hopes up."

He snorted and bit back a laugh. "Thanks a lot."

"I do not think these are conventional symbols," she said, letting go of Wheeler's hand to shuffle the papers. "I think she has her own system."

"Not out of the question," Wheeler murmured, opening cabinets. Many of them were empty, but some contained wires and tools he assumed had been used to build the machine.

"Dimensional Opposition Teleport Beam," Linka whispered.

"What?" He turned to her and she showed him a large sketch of the object in the middle of the room.

"That is what she calls it. The Dimensional Opposition Teleport Beam."

"Well what the hell does that mean?" he asked, wrinkling his brow.

"Teleportation is not a new idea," Linka said slowly. "People have theorised about it for a long time. But it is purely a hypothesis." She swallowed and shrugged. "At least, it is _supposed_ to be."

She rummaged through more papers and drew out a small pocket book. "Dimensional Handheld Teleport Beam," she said, sounding confused. "What is she doing?"

"It beats me," Wheeler muttered. "Come on. Let's find the others and figure it out."

Linka nodded and tucked the pocket book into her jacket. " _Da._ Maybe now we have our rings back we can get some answers and stop whatever it is Blight is trying to do."

xXx


	5. Beams

 

"Are you sure you can walk?" Ma-Ti asked worriedly.

Kwame gave him a shaky smile. "I am sure. I am just a little dizzy."

Ma-Ti patted his shoulder. "Come on. We should go and find the others."

"Did you figure out what Blight was up to?" Gi asked softly. She looked quite well again – slightly pale, but she said her headache was gone, and she seemed to have more energy after a couple of hours rest.

"I am hoping Wheeler and Linka can tell us," Ma-Ti said, helping Kwame up. "Come on."

They moved into the corridor again, and were almost knocked over by Wheeler and Linka.

"It is a teleport beam," Linka gasped breathlessly. "She is trying to go somewhere. She is manipulating the laws of –"

"You have no idea, blondie," came a droll voice.

They spun around. MAL was watching them, giving the impression of leaning against the doorway of Kwame's cell.

"What is she doing?" Linka asked furiously. "What did she do to that poor elephant seal?"

"That?" MAL asked nonchalantly. "Oh, I did that..."

The Planeteers took a collective step back as MAL flashed video images up against the wall. The elephant seal roared and bellowed, trapped in the corner. MAL stood on a disk nearby, smirking. Two bright, crackling jets of blue electricity shot towards the seal, sizzling around its throat. It screamed and fell, twitching and convulsing as its throat burst and blood leaked out onto the pristine white floor. The image faded and MAL stood opposite them again, smirking.

"Why?" Gi asked in horror, her face grey.

"Doctor Blight tests her machine on them," MAL drawled. "It's still there because she decided to test it on something else, this afternoon." He flicked his eyes towards Ma-Ti. "She thinks the beam is ready to test on living creatures. The next seals we bring in will be kept alive. Unfortunately, other plans got in the way today."

"The beam?" Linka asked, narrowing her eyes. "What does it do?"

MAL chuckled. "It would blow your tiny little mind," he said. "Only Doctor Blight has the mental capacity to –"

"Oh, brother," Wheeler answered, rolling his eyes. "We get it; she's wonderful."

MAL scowled at him. "She's _brilliant_ ," he said. "She's achieved things other scientists have only dreamed of."

"Yeah, yeah," Wheeler said dismissively. "The teleport beam, we get it."

MAL snorted. "I don't think you do."

"Then enlighten us," Linka said coldly. "Teleport beams allow instant travel between two points, _da_?"

"Uh, duh," MAL answered, rolling his eyes at her.

"I liked you better when you were just a head," Gi said in disgust. "Has she increased your arrogance simulator or something?"

"That's all me, sugar," MAL said, pursing his lips at her.

"Ugh." Wheeler clutched his stomach. "Someone get me a bucket."

"What is Blight doing with a teleport beam?" Linka asked impatiently.

MAL turned back to her. "Nothing, yet," he said coolly. "It hasn't been tested on living beings."

"Oh, enough," Gi said in disgust. "Let's just go and destroy the thing before she goes through with whatever it is she's planning on –"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," MAL interrupted.

"What are _you_ gonna do, pixel-breath?" Wheeler asked.

MAL zapped him with a blue beam of electricity and Wheeler dropped to the ground.

"Wheeler!" Linka shrieked. She fell to her knees beside him and shook him gently.

"I'm okay," he grunted. "It's like a stun-gun... Help me up."

She kissed him gently and pulled him up, but he sagged against the wall.

"Planeteer romance?" MAL asked, disappearing from the opposite wall and appearing on the panel beside Wheeler and Linka. "How cute."

Wheeler slid to the floor again and glared up at him. "I think Blight's done you a disservice, you know," he said. "You used to have arms... you could travel around, pick things up... Now all you've got is electricity."

"I do miss my mechanical arms," MAL admitted sadly. "But I have a three-dimensional body, now."

"Only when there's a disc in the room," Gi answered. "And it's just a hologram – it's entirely useless. Why didn't she put you into a robot or something so you could walk and touch things properly?"

MAL blinked, and then scowled at her. "Enough," he snapped. "All of you need to get back into your cells."

"Got it!" Ma-Ti sang.

Everyone looked down at him. In all the bickering and arguing, he had been forgotten. But all that time, he had been sitting on the floor toying with the electrical panel in the wall.

MAL shrieked. "No!"

The wall panels along the corridor dimmed and went out.

"Quick," Ma-Ti said. "He'll be off fetching Doctor Blight. We need to destroy that teleport beam before they come back."

Ma-Ti and Linka helped Wheeler shuffle along as they all raced for the laboratory at the end of the corridor.

"What do we do with it?" Gi asked as they burst through the doors. "Try to take it apart?"

"I wish we knew what it was for," Linka said nervously. "I am not sure I –"

"Wait!" Blight roared, striding into the room.

They turned, and Wheeler visibly flinched.

Blight stood there furiously in her pink nightgown, her hair in curlers and night-cream slathered on her face. She put her hands on her hips and glared at them furiously.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We were going to ask you the same thing," Wheeler said, feeling a little better. He was able to stand unassisted, at least.

Blight smirked at him. "It's none of your business."

"Whatever it is, you have used the natural resources here to power it," Kwame said angrily. " _That_ is our business."

"Those minerals could have been mined by anyone," Blight said airily. "I just got to 'em before the next schmuck. Now get back into your cells – and this time, MAL, jam the goddamn panels."

"Yes, Doctor," MAL answered sheepishly, standing on the disc in the corner again. "You heard her, planet punks. March yourselves back to your rooms this instant."

"Or what, we'll be grounded?" Wheeler asked. "Forget it. Fire!"

Blight shrieked as a jet of flame raced towards her precious teleport beam.

"MAL, do something!"

Blue electricity raced around the room, heading for the Planeteers, who scattered hastily. Kwame and Ma-Ti ducked behind the centre console, and Gi threw herself behind Blight's lab chair. Wheeler pulled Linka behind the counter at the side.

"That does it!" Blight shrieked. "I've come too far for you to screw it up now!"

She leapt for the control panel of the teleport beam, and there was a hum as it powered up.

Gi turned to Kwame with a look of horror. "Kwame!" she cried. "We need help!"

He nodded and clenched his fist. The words left his mouth with no conscious thought behind them.

"Let our powers combine. _Earth._ "

Wheeler peered over the edge of the counter. "Fire!"

"Wind!" Linka joined him, her eyes fixed on the three beams above them.

"Water!"

"Heart!"

Blight screamed furiously. "No! No, no, no!"

The five beams constricted and swam together, a large white ball of light crackling and fizzing above Blight's invention. Gradually, the shadow of a man became apparent, and he unfolded and arched, as though stretching his muscles after being hunched over for a long time.

The light flickered and faded, and the Planeteers gazed up with wide smiles as Captain Planet finally formed above them, his voice deep and raspy as though he were still half asleep.

"By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"

"Go, Planet!"

The dangers around them were forgotten. All of the Planeteers stood to cheer the emerging form of Captain Planet, grinning up at him with unabashed relief and happiness.

He did a double take when he saw them. "Planeteers," he said in surprise. "You've... aged."

"Watch it," Gi answered. "We're not so old we can't wail on you if you insult us."

He laughed and looked around at them in delight. "I didn't think it had been _that_ long."

"I haven't a single grey hair, I'll have you know," Wheeler answered quickly. "So it _hasn't_ been that long."

Captain Planet grinned and turned around.

"Whoa, Blight!" he said, looking at her in alarm. "What have you done to your face this time?"

"It's night-cream, ignoramus!" she retorted. "Now move out of the way before I blow you into a million tiny pieces." She snatched up something from one of the counters in the middle of the room, and Linka flinched. It matched the designs she had discovered in the pocket book. It was the hand-held version of the gun in the middle of the room.

"Captain Planet, it is a teleport beam!" she blurted. "Be careful!"

"As usual, you have no idea what you're talking about!" Blight snapped at her. "It's so much more."

"I'd love to catch up, Blight, but I'm assuming time is against us," Captain Planet sighed, spreading his hands and shrugging slightly. "It usually is, by the time I arrive on the scene."

Blight smirked up at him. "You're breaking my heart."

Captain Planet grinned and winked at her. "It comes with the territory," he said, looking down at his body.

"Eleven o'clock," MAL chimed from the wall behind Blight.

Everyone paused, confused, except Blight. She swung slightly to the left, and the gun was pointed directly at Gi, who had moved out into the open after Captain Planet's arrival.

"Right on time, MAL baby," Blight breathed. She squeezed the trigger of the gun. There was an orange flash, and a jet of light shot towards Gi, hitting her directly in the chest. She vanished instantly.

"Gi!" Kwame cried in horror.

Captain Planet fell a couple of feet and clutched his stomach with a grunt.

"It works!" Blight shrieked in delight.

"What the fuck have you done?" Wheeler cried, his face ghostly white.

"Here..."

The Planeteers turned. Gi coughed weakly and struggled to her feet.

"What happened?" she asked, leaning back against the wall with a pale face.

She had moved – the beam had transported her across the room, and she now stood directly in the path of the larger gun.

Captain Planet held his head in his hands. "What _was_ that?" he asked, squinting as though he had a headache.

"A test drive," Blight said in delight, grabbing the controls of the central teleport beam.

" _Nyet_!" Linka shouted. "Stop her!"

Kwame ran for Blight immediately, and Linka ran towards Gi.

"Move!" she screeched.

Captain Planet shook his head dizzily, and then flew towards Blight – but it was too late. She squeezed the trigger and the teleport beam hummed loudly, before there was a loud crack and another shot of orange light jetted across the room.

Linka saw it coming and she threw herself frantically at Gi, knocking her to the ground.

Gi fell heavily with Linka's scream echoing in her ears. When the smoke cleared, she was alone on the far side of the room.

Linka had gone.

xXx


	6. Falling Apart

 

Gi blinked fuzzily, trying to clear her head. Everything had happened so quickly – her mind was still trying to process it.

Linka had leapt at her, knocking her to the ground. Only Gi had fallen. Linka had been hit with the beam and, Gi supposed, transported somewhere. Where, exactly, she had no idea. The smaller beam had simply moved Gi across the room. She had no idea what the bigger beam did.

Wheeler had given a scream that had broken roughly, his throat tearing at the force of it.

And Captain Planet had plummeted to the ground, smashing heavily into the floor and cracking it sharply, sending blue sparks up into the air and dimming several wall panels.

When Kwame and Ma-Ti fell to the floor and started screaming, Gi let the darkness sweep in and steal her away into a faint.

xXx

Captain Planet wasn't entirely sure what had happened. He felt sick and dizzy as he wove his way across the floor to Kwame and Ma-Ti, who had stopped screaming but were still twitching and convulsing on the floor.

"Ma-Ti..." He touched the Heart Planeteer on the shoulder and his eyes flew open.

He gasped and wrapped his hand around Captain Planet's wrist. "Pain," he wheezed.

"Yeah." Captain Planet reached for Kwame and pulled him gently across the floor. He was barely conscious.

"What happened?" he moaned.

"I'm not sure..." Captain Planet looked across the room. Smoke drifted lazily. Blight had fled the moment Captain Planet had smashed into the floor. Wheeler was sitting slumped against the wall, gazing blankly into mid air. His face was a nasty shade of grey, contrasting sharply with his fiery hair.

"Wheeler?"

He blinked and looked at Captain Planet without really seeing him.

"Are you hurt?"

Wheeler opened his mouth and then closed it. When he spoke, his voice was a husk. "Where's Linka?"

Captain Planet glanced across the room. Gi was lying motionless on the floor, but Linka had gone – well and truly.

"I don't know," Captain Planet answered carefully. "Go and check if Gi is hurt. We need to figure things out."

Wheeler got slowly to his feet and made his way over to Gi.

"Gi..." He shook her gently and her eyes fluttered open.

"Is she okay?" she mumbled.

"She's gone." Wheeler ran a hand through his hair. "We've gotta go and find her. Come on."

She sat up and clutched at him dizzily. After a moment he pulled her into his arms and struggled to his feet, carrying her across the uneven floor to where Captain Planet was still sitting with Kwame and Ma-Ti, who both looked extremely ill.

"How are you feeling, Gi?" Captain Planet asked in concern.

"Dizzy," she said softly. "What's going on?"

"And you, Wheeler?" Cap turned to the Fire Planeteer, who set Gi gently on the floor.

"Where's Linka?" Wheeler asked, his voice a demand. "Where's she gone?"

"I don't know," Cap answered. "Far."

"What the hell does that mean?" Wheeler snapped.

"Stop it, Wheeler," Kwame gasped. "We will find her..." He frowned and sank against the wall, one hand gripping Captain Planet's arm. "Why do I feel so sick?" he asked faintly.

"I'm not feeling so good, either," Captain Planet admitted, furrowing his brow. "Blight's messed with something serious. Time lines and dimensions have shifted. I'm not sure what she's done, but it's not good."

Wheeler locked his jaw furiously, angry that they were still sitting there doing nothing.

"Why are Kwame and Ma-Ti so ill?" Gi asked, looking at their sweating faces anxiously.

"Because I can't go anywhere," Captain Planet answered. "Linka..." He shook his head. "She's still out there somewhere, but it's weird. It's..." He shook his head again as though to clear it. "We've got to go to Gaia."

"Now?" Wheeler asked furiously. "We can't! What if Linka's stuck here somewhere –"

"She's much further away," Captain Planet interrupted. "I can't reach her, do you understand?" His eyes flicked around each of them. "I'm stuck here. Everything's jammed, and that means Linka's been completely removed from my reach. Kwame and Ma-Ti are in pain because I'm using their powers so long as I'm a solid form. Earth keeps me here, and Heart keeps me conscious." He glanced apologetically at them and squeezed their shoulders. "It should be okay so long as I don't go too far from you guys," he said. "But we need to get to Gaia."

"So if you try to use our individual powers, it hurts us?" Gi asked.

Captain Planet nodded and helped Kwame and Ma-Ti to their feet. "I can still feel Linka out there somewhere," he said. "So I think she can feel me. I can't fly us anywhere. Where's the geo-cruiser?"

"It's a pile of smoke and rubble at the base of a mountain," Wheeler snapped. "So we're stuck here."

"Stop it," Kwame hissed at him. "We will get Linka back. Just calm down. Blight must have transport here somewhere."

Captain Planet nodded. "Grab whatever details you can get on Blight's equipment," he said to Gi. "The more information we have, the easier it'll be to track Linka down."

Gi ran to the side of the room, dizziness forgotten, and snatched up every available paper she could find.

"She's not dead then?" Wheeler asked, rubbing his forehead.

"No." Captain Planet glanced at him. He'd always been aware of the taut connection between Wheeler and Linka. But now, things had changed; things had shifted, and the lines between the Planeteers were blurred, and much weaker than he'd expected.

He looked around at his Planeteers as they prepared to leave Blight's laboratory.

 _What the hell happened here?_

xXx

"What does this run on?" Kwame asked softly.

They'd been flying for hours – Blight's pink jet was undoubtedly fast, but a thick trail of black smoke was left in the sky behind them.

"I don't even want to think about it," Captain Planet muttered. "We just have to worry about getting Linka back."

"I am just wondering if we have enough fuel to get to Hope Island," Kwame said softly. "The dial is getting low."

"We'll have enough to get there," Captain Planet answered firmly, gripping the controls. "Trust me."

Wheeler, sitting in the back of the aircraft, rolled his eyes.

Gi noticed. "Wheeler," she whispered, "It's not Captain Planet's fault."

"Where the hell is Linka, then?" Wheeler asked, keeping his voice low so the others couldn't hear. "We shouldn't be leaving there until we know where she is."

Gi reached for his hand and he wrenched furiously away from her.

"Don't touch me."

She turned back to the window, tears in her eyes.

Captain Planet wasn't totally oblivious to Wheeler's anger, but he chose to ignore it for now. He turned to Ma-Ti, making sure his hand had contact with the Heart Planeteer, and spoke to him silently, using the faithful connection Ma-Ti had mastered so well.

Ma-Ti winced when Captain Planet used his Heart power to communicate, but he didn't complain. He just opened his mind and let Captain Planet catch up on ten years of history and changes between the Planeteers.

"Got it," Captain Planet whispered, squeezing Ma-Ti's arm gratefully. "A lot's changed, huh."

"Some things are the same," Ma-Ti replied softly. "Some things are stronger. That is why he is so angry. He thinks he has lost her again."

"It's only temporary," Captain Planet answered, his eyes locked ahead of the aircraft. "We'll get her back."

Ma-Ti glanced to Kwame, who was now dozing, oblivious to their conversation.

"Where is she, Captain Planet?" Ma-Ti asked softly.

Cap shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's complicated and I can't figure it out on my own. I need Gaia to help me."

"Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

"I don't think she's hurt. Not badly."

Ma-Ti nodded and rested his head against the back of his seat. He knew answers would come eventually – the waiting was the hard part.

He snuck a glance back to Wheeler. He wondered how the waiting would affect him.

xXx

Gaia was expecting them.

Ma-Ti and Kwame seemed to relax as soon as the jet touched down on Hope Island, and Captain Planet clapped them each on the shoulder.

"You'll feel okay so long as we're here," he said. "Stronger connection."

Wheeler leapt from the jet as soon as it was safe. "Gaia," he gasped, "Please tell me you know where she is."

Gaia touched his face gently and glanced at Captain Planet. "We'll find her, Wheeler," she assured him. "I promise."

"Gaia, you haven't aged a day," Captain Planet greeted her.

Wheeler whirled around furiously. "Stop it!" he roared. "Stop fucking around with stupid jokes and tell me what's going on!"

Kwame grabbed him and hauled him backwards. "We need to talk," he said. "We will meet you all in The Crystal Chamber."

The others turned and left, and Kwame pinned Wheeler against the side of Blight's jet. He struggled furiously.

"Don't make me hurt you," he gasped, trying to wrench free.

Kwame pressed his arm against Wheeler's chest. "You promised me," he said firmly, giving Wheeler a stern look. "You all promised me we would do this together and we would not fracture again. Captain Planet and Gaia have promised we will get Linka back, and I believe them. You need to calm down, Wheeler, because if we break again, we will have no hope of finding her. Do you understand?"

Wheeler stopped fighting, but he was still tense.

"We pull together," Kwame said slowly. "We do not fall apart. Agree?"

Wheeler broke eye contact and nodded. Kwame eased away from him gently.

"I know it is hard," he said softly. "But we will find Linka."

"I didn't come through all this shit and fight this hard just to lose her on our first mission," Wheeler whispered, clenching his fists.

"Neither did I," Kwame answered. "Keep your head on." He squeezed Wheeler's shoulder and turned to go, but paused. "And do not blame Gi for this," he said, looking back at the Fire Planeteer. "It is not her fault."

xXx

Linka stirred slowly, and immediately regretted moving at all. Pain ran down her entire body, as though her bones had all splintered. She could taste dirt and metallic blood, and she spat and coughed, rolling onto her side.

The smell assaulted her – hitting her like a rush of wind. She rolled again and vomited, crawling onto her knees and blindly staggering sideways.

The sight was almost as horrific as the smell. Flies and maggots crawled over every surface. She was surrounded by rotting flesh. Elephant seals, penguins... other things that were too decomposed to be recognised...

She vomited again and crawled towards a bank of grass, hauling herself out of the ditch. She could hear other animals fighting and snarling as they tore at the carcasses. She collapsed into the grass, trembling and breathing deeply.

She lay there for a long time, letting the warm breeze carry the smell away from her and soothe her. The smell of grass and earth was comforting and pleasant, and after a while her dizziness subsided enough for her to sit up.

She had no idea where she was. It was warm, and she was surrounded by trees, which were barely visible in the eerie light that was cast over everything. Behind her, the ditch was full of rotting Antarctic animals she assumed had been transported via early experiments carried out by Blight.

She wiped her face, wishing she had a drink of water. She tried to remember what had happened – she could remember running towards Gi...

"Gi?" she called. "Gi? Are you here?" She tilted her head and listened, but the only sounds were the buzzing flies and the fighting animals further over in the dark. She winced and staggered to her feet. She wasn't entirely sure it was sensible to leave her point of contact, so to speak, but the sight and the smell were too terrible to keep her there. She staggered between the trees, calling for Gi now and then.

The woods ended abruptly, and she found herself in a field, overlooking a rolling valley.

The sky was littered with millions of stars, all twinkling behind veils of purple and green gas, which shifted and drifted slowly like clouds. The moon was yellow and enormous – twenty times the size she was used to, and close enough for her to spot individual craters and pockets on its surface.

She sank to her knees. This was not the sky above Earth.

xXx


	7. Coming Together

 

Wheeler had stopped asking where Linka was. The answer was always the same and it was always vague, like 'far'. Far. Sure. He scoffed and turned back to the papers he'd been studying. Blight's formulas meant nothing to him, and he was beginning to loathe the sight of her handwriting.

"We shouldn't have left," he blurted eventually. "We should have stayed to question Blight."

"Do you think she would have given us answers, Wheeler?" Ma-Ti asked gently. He hadn't left the Fire Planeteer's side, and Wheeler was rather grateful. Being alone seemed extremely uncomfortable, and Ma-Ti seemed to sense Wheeler's craving for company.

Gi rubbed her forehead miserably.

"Are you feeling okay?" Captain Planet asked in concern.

"Just a bit dizzy," she admitted.

Kwame frowned slightly, matching the worried expression Captain Planet had on his face.

"Maybe you should get some rest, Gi," he said gently.

She glanced anxiously to Wheeler and was alarmed when she saw the furious expression on his face. She looked away and blinked back tears.

"I think I will," she said, skating her chair back hurriedly. "Call if you need more help..."

Wheeler bit back a sarcastic response. Deep down, he knew it was unreasonable of him to hold blame against Gi – but it was easier to stay angry than to allow himself to feel the fear he knew was swimming just below the surface.

xXx

Kwame sank into the sand beside Gi. She knew he'd arrived, but she kept her face buried against her arms, hunched over with her elbows resting on her knees.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly, watching the sun sink slowly into the sea.

She shook her head and sniffed.

He reached for her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. She accepted his hug and buried her face against his shoulder, sobbing as quietly as she could.

"It's all my fault," she gasped.

"No, Gi," Kwame answered gently. "Do not think that way. Things will be okay."

She wiped her eyes and clutched him tightly. "Is Wheeler okay?"

"He is still sorting the papers we took from Blight's laboratory. I do not think he will stop for a while. If we can understand her machine, we can track Linka down."

Gi sighed and scrubbed the heel of her hand across her cheek. "He's mad at me," she croaked.

"No," Kwame said gently.

"He _is_ ," Gi insisted. "Linka knocked me out of the way. It should have been me."

Kwame sighed and kissed the top of her head. "Look on the bright side," he said gently. "Linka obviously cares for you, saving you like that."

Gi scoffed and leaned against him. "Look what happened."

Kwame sighed softly and rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"We should get some sleep," he said after a moment. "We have only had a couple of hours rest since leaving Hope Island. It is easy to bicker when we are so exhausted."

Gi just shook her head and hugged her knees again. "I couldn't."

"Come on," he prompted gently. "Just a couple of hours, Gi. We are no hope to Linka if we are too tired to function."

"You go ahead," she said softly.

He sighed and stood, but swung her up into his arms and carried her towards the huts. She didn't resist, but she started to cry.

"Why am I always hurting her?" she whispered.

Kwame shook his head and kissed her forehead. "Stop it, Gi," he said gently. "Everything will be okay."

"I don't want to be alone," she whispered.

He hefted her slightly. "Okay."

xXx

Kwame wasn't sure why he'd interpreted Gi's desire for company in such a way that they ended up huddled together on his bed. He wasn't sure it was appropriate, either, but saying so would probably upset her further. And it did feel nice, having someone else so close and breathing so quietly against him. It was basic and warm and for the first time he understood – or he thought he did – why Wheeler and Gi had turned to one another the way they had when everything around them had been so dark.

He looked down at the shadowy bulk of Gi's body beside him. She was almost asleep, but he suddenly felt less exhausted. He found that his mind had gone into overdrive. He spoke softly, almost unaware he'd voiced the main thought running through his mind.

"I have only ever slept beside my wife before," he said sleepily.

Gi turned her head, too close to him to see the outline of him in the dark. She rested her forehead against his jaw. "I can go," she said softly.

He shook his head slightly, his arm tightening around her. "No, I understand. It is nice having someone close."

"Do you think of her a lot?" Gi asked softly.

"Every day." Kwame gazed up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I wonder if we will ever find our way back to one another... But I do not think so. I think it is too painful for her to look at me. She associates me with a lot of difficult memories."

Gi squeezed his hand sympathetically. "Never say never."

"My life would be so different, if Safi had lived," he whispered. "Lately I have..." He trailed off and gave an odd chuckle, shaking his head.

"Go on," Gi prompted. She wasn't ready to sleep yet.

Kwame cleared his throat softly. "Sometimes it seems as though it is all a cruel twist of fate," he whispered. "Something designed to bring me back here."

"You mustn't think like that," Gi said immediately, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Well, I would not be here if Safi was alive," Kwame said, looking up at her. "The Planeteers would be without me."

Gi sighed and raked her hair back. "It's tempting to think of alternative outcomes," she agreed. "If I'd gotten pregnant again, Jin and I would still be married and –"

"Again?" Kwame asked softly.

She paused and then rested her head back down. "Never mind," she muttered.

"Gi..."

"Never mind," she repeated, sounding a little sharper than she'd meant to.

Kwame hugged her a little closer, but stayed silent.

After a moment she wiped her eyes. "This is exactly what I did with Wheeler," she said, faint disgust evident in her voice.

"I do not think this is _exactly_ what you did with Wheeler," Kwame said dryly. "And I do not think you need to worry about the same mistakes happening tonight."

"That's not what I meant," she said softly. She closed her eyes, finally recognising the exhaustion that was weighing on her body. "I'm just so scared that I'm on this big circular path, Kwame, and all my mistakes are going to keep repeating themselves."

"The flesh is weak," Kwame sighed, closing his eyes. "You are not the first to give in to temptation, Gi, and you will not be the last. You are trying to rectify your mistakes." He ran a hand soothingly over her back. "You need to have more faith in yourself."

"It's hard when all I ever seem to do is hurt Linka," Gi whispered tearfully. "That beam should have hit me. She and Wheeler would still be together and –"

"Stop it," Kwame warned her softly. "We will find her. I am sure she is okay. We will not stop looking for her." He kissed her forehead gently. "Go to sleep, Gi. We are no help to Linka without proper rest."

She rested her head against his shoulder. "Can I stay here?"

He nodded tiredly and she closed her eyes, finally giving in to the need for sleep.

xXx

Ma-Ti had retired to bed hours ago, but Wheeler had refused. Captain Planet and Gaia seemed to be able to push on without rest. They were standing in front of a chart Gaia had inscribed upon one of the crystal columns in the chamber – circles of all different sizes overlapping and linking together. The sight gave Wheeler a headache.

"Are we any closer to finding her?" he asked eventually.

Gaia turned to him patiently. "We're trying, Wheeler," she said. "But if we make mistakes, it could cost us everything. We need to be sure."

Captain Planet scratched the back of his head. "I think we underestimated Blight," he said after a moment. "This is big."

"No shit," Wheeler snapped at him, his patience stretched to breaking point.

"Calm down," Gaia warned him. "Linka's out there somewhere. We'll find her; I promise."

Wheeler rubbed his palms over his face. "Where?" he asked frantically. " _Where_ is she?"

Gaia watched him for a moment. "You need to get some sleep, Wheeler," she said gently.

He just gazed back at her helplessly.

"We think Blight's ray gun was designed to transport objects between dimensions," Gaia said after a moment, realising he wasn't going anywhere.

Wheeler blinked. "What?"

"Her technology is amazingly advanced," Gaia said thoughtfully. "I know how clever she is and I don't doubt she could have done this herself, but..."

"What?" Wheeler asked again.

"I think she's stolen this. Or at least, part of it," Gaia said, crossing to the table where Wheeler sat. She sorted through the papers. "These symbols and calculations..."

"What about them?" Wheeler asked. Everything had started to swim in front of his eyes.

"I've seen them before," Gaia said thoughtfully. "I think you have, too."

"Where?" Wheeler asked tiredly.

Gaia glanced at him. "On the side of Zarm's spaceship."

xXx

Blight put her hands on her hips and gazed around her laboratory in dismay. One of the wall panels flickered incessantly, and many of them had dimmed altogether, thanks to Captain Planet. One of her jets had also been taken, and the majority of her written research had been smuggled away with the Planeteers after they'd retreated.

She sank to the ground and began to laugh hysterically.

MAL appeared above his disc in the corner, looking down at her with what appeared to be concern. "Doctor, are you all right?"

"All right?" she gasped, looking up at him. "MAL, I'm fantastic!"

He glanced around the ruined laboratory. "Why?"

"Why?" She got to her feet and smiled, motioning towards the beam. "It _works_ , MAL. That blonde Planeteer vanished right in front of my eyes!"

"We don't know if she made it to the other side alive," MAL drawled.

"We weren't going to know that with the seals, either," Blight whispered, her eyes wide and bright. She held up the hand-held teleport beam. "We always knew this one worked."

MAL smirked. "What now?"

Blight turned to him. "I'm going."

"Doctor –"

She shook her head irritably. "Those Planeteers aren't going to stay away from here forever," she said. "God knows why they left in the first place. But they're not going to destroy my equipment until they get their precious Planeteer back. I need to get the biggest head-start I can get. I've had absolutely no help from the other side, as you know." She gave a sigh of impatience and glanced towards the teleport beam in the middle of the room.

"What if they do destroy it?" MAL asked curiously.

"We'll have this," Blight said, lifting the hand-held device. "It won't matter."

"Is he expecting you?" MAL asked curiously.

She glanced at him and shook her head. "I hope so. But even if he isn't, he won't refuse."

"How do you know?" MAL asked. "Maybe he's quite happy where he is."

Blight scoffed. "I find that hard to believe. If he was so happy, why contact me in the first place?"

"That was nine years ago," MAL said. "Maybe things have changed."

Blight glared at him. "Shut up," she snapped after a moment. "If you're coming with me, you'd better hurry up." She pointed to the laptop sitting on the counter in the middle of the room.

"Cramming all my data onto that tiny drive gives me a headache," he whined.

"Fine, I'll leave you here then," she answered icily.

He raised his eyebrow. "I know you don't mean that."

"Hurry up!" she snarled, pointing to the laptop.

He sighed and his hologram disappeared. Blight watched the laptop intently. Laptop. She scoffed at the word. It was so much more. The world outside of Blight's laboratory was hopelessly obsolete.

"Done," MAL said, sounding rather irritable as his image appeared on the screen of her laptop. "What are some of these other files?"

"You're instructed not to touch those," she said immediately.

"I know," he said innocently. "I was only asking because I couldn't open them. One of them appears to be named after Looten Plunder."

"Leave them alone," Blight snapped, slamming the lid of the laptop shut.

She flicked the timer on the teleport beam and shouldered the bag she was taking with her. She crossed the room and stared back at her invention, which was humming steadily.

"Here we go, baby," she breathed excitedly, her heart pounding. "Nothing will stop me now."

The orange beam jetted forth from the barrel of the gun and hit Blight in the chest.

She vanished instantly.

xXx


	8. Dimensions

 

Linka wiped her eyes. Her stomach ached after being violently emptied of its contents and she trembled from her head to her toes, unable to even comprehend what was in front of her.

She drew a deep breath and pressed the heels of her hands over her eyes, blocking out the view of the strange sky and trying to sort her thoughts.

 _Blight is trying to frighten me,_ she thought carefully. _I am still on Earth and I am still in her base in Antarctica, but something has happened. Either I have been knocked unconscious or I have somehow been projected into one of her programs..._

Her thoughts trailed off. No matter which way she looked at it, it seemed ridiculous.

The smell from the ditch behind her was too strong to ignore, even with the breeze blowing the other way. Everything _seemed_ real.

She coughed and wiped her mouth, blinking back another attack of tears.

"Okay," she breathed. "Think, Linka. Gi was hit with the first beam and it moved her across the room."

She nodded to herself, certain that she was remembering correctly.

"I think I pushed her out of the way of the second beam," she said to herself. "But I was hit and now I am here alone. I have been transported somewhere..." She looked up at the moon again, giant and glowing, and blanched slightly.

"It is not just a hypothesis," she sighed, resting her head down on her knees and rocking back and forth. "Blight has built herself a teleportation device."

xXx

 _Wheeler glanced over to Linka as he slowed to take the last turn into his street. She had fallen asleep again, her arm pillowing her face from the cold glass of the window, and the streetlights made her look pale and ghostly._

 _He let the car idle as he parked, keeping the heater on and just watching Linka for a moment. She looked calmer, now. Her breathing was even and steady, and since leaving the gas station she had seemed less jumpy and frightened._

 _He reached over and brushed his fingers gently over her cheek. "Linka..."_

 _She blinked and sat up, immediately flicking her eyes over to him. "We have stopped?" she asked, her voice husky with sleep._

 _"Yeah. My building's just there..." He pointed, but she just nodded tiredly and fumbled for the door handle._

 _He grabbed her hand. "Hey."_

 _She looked at him. There was a veil across her eyes he didn't care for – something robotic and defensive, as though she had prepared herself for any actions he might take which would hurt her._

 _"It'll be okay, now," he whispered. "Viktor's not gonna find you. It's just you and me."_

 _She swallowed and broke eye contact with him, frowning slightly. "It is?"_

 _Wheeler felt his stomach drop slightly. "Just you and me," he promised again._

 _No one else. No Viktor. No Gi._

 _She looked like she wanted to say something else._

 _He leaned over and kissed her cheek, finally shutting the engine off. "Let's go upstairs," he said softly. "You need some sleep."_

 _She ran her eyes over his face and gave him a small smile. "You need sleep too," she whispered. "You look like you have been awake for hours."_

 _He grinned. "A while, yeah."_

 _She shook her head, though the smile on her face didn't leave her. "You should not be losing sleep over me, Wheeler."_

xXx

"...he needs to sleep. Leave him be."

Wheeler stirred, disturbing the nest of papers he'd finally collapsed across. When he blinked, he realised it had been a dream. Half a memory, lost somewhere at the back of his mind. The moments of driving Linka back to St. Petersburg all intertwined and swam in his head for a moment before he realised he had fallen asleep at the table in The Crystal Chamber.

He jerked awake and his chair jumped beneath him, scraping across the floor.

Ma-Ti jumped and looked around at him. "Hey," he said, looking slightly guilty. "Did we wake you?"

"No," Wheeler muttered, rubbing his hand across his eyes. "What time is it?"

"You've only been asleep for a few minutes, Wheeler," Gaia said gently. "Nothing has changed. Go and get some rest. We'll keep trying to figure it out and as soon as we have answers we'll come and get you."

"No, I want to help," he said, trying to focus his eyes back onto the papers in front of him.

Ma-Ti put a hand on his shoulder. "I will take your place, Wheeler," he said. "Go and get some sleep. If we find Linka, you are going to need some energy to get her back..."

Wheeler realised he was right. He slumped slightly and nodded, though Ma-Ti had to physically prompt him to get up and head towards the Planeteer huts.

"I will come and get you if we find anything," he promised.

Wheeler nodded, stumbling slightly in the dark. He paused at the start of the path that wove between the private huts. He had slept beside Linka since finding her again and now he wasn't sure about crawling into an empty bed. The thought of sleeping alone was hugely depressing and he felt a dull ache in his stomach.

He found himself standing outside Gi's hut, and he grimaced, disgusted with himself. Though he'd never consider her as anything more than a friend, it had been his relationship with Gi that had ruined everything in the first place.

He turned to leave, but then turned back. He knocked. "Gi?"

Her room was dark and silent.

He let himself in and peered tiredly into the dark. "Are you asleep?" he asked softly. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being such a dumbass before. It's not your fault..."

She wasn't there.

He sighed and sank onto the end of her bed, half-wondering where she was and if she was crying somewhere because of the way he'd been acting. He stretched out on her bed, figuring she'd have to come in sooner or later. He wanted to apologise for the way he'd acted.

He found himself dozing, too exhausted to truly be awake, but too tense and worried to fall into a deep sleep. Dreams ran in front of his eyes and after a while he lost track of what was real, what was thought, and what was memory.

xXx

 _"It was the maid," Wheeler declared, trying to unwrap another piece of candy with just one hand. Linka took it from him and peeled the wrapper away before handing it back._

 _She shook her head in disagreement. "It is not the maid."_

 _Wheeler flicked his glance to her in amusement. She was huddled against him, hugging his arm, her eyes fixed firmly on the television._

 _"I think it's the maid," he repeated, dropping the candy into his mouth._

 _She shook her head again._

 _"Why not?" he asked, giving her a purposeful sigh of exasperation. "It's always the maid. Or the butler."_

 _"It is the father," Linka said, the corners of her mouth turning up a little._

 _Wheeler tilted his head, watching the low-budget crime drama on the television in front of him. "What's the motive?"_

 _"His son is an embarrassment," she said, tilting her head up and smiling at him when she noticed he was watching her._

 _"He kills his son just because he's an embarrassment?" Wheeler asked. "Nah. It's the maid. She's after the money. It's always about the money."_

 _She smiled at him again and looked away. "Okay," she answered, though her tone indicated she had no intention of changing her mind._

 _He grinned. He liked this. She'd been at his place for four days and she was still nervous and jumpy as hell, but they had settled together better than he'd hoped. She was comfortable with him. She let him hold her hand, and he'd even kissed her a few times. Taking things slow. He didn't want to rush her, but it was hard to keep his hands off her after being separated from her for so long. After convincing himself that she was the only thing that could make him happy._

 _When the police arrested the father and the credits started to roll, she gave him a cheeky grin, and he growled and pulled her sideways, wrapping his arms around her. She was still so thin. He didn't want to force food on her – he knew what it was like, not being hungry – but he was still worried about her. He ran his palm over the sharp angle of her hip and she turned her head against the couch cushion so her nose brushed against his._

 _"I told you it was the father," she said softly._

 _He grinned. "Next week it'll be the maid."_

 _She smiled tiredly at him._

 _"How'd you figure it out?" he asked, combing her hair away from her face with his fingers._

 _Her gaze dropped to his mouth for a moment – so close to hers, their breath intermingled. She looked up into his eyes again and gave him a breathless smile._

 _"There are always clues," she whispered. "You know that. You know better than anyone. If you do not give up, you will always find the person you are looking for."_

xXx

Wheeler jerked awake and flung his arm out sideways, towards Linka's side of the bed. His hand crashed against Gi's wall and he winced and rolled over, burying his face into her pillow. For a moment he wished she would come in and wrap her arms around him and tell him it would be okay.

He blinked, tears smearing on his skin as he rubbed his fist across his face.

He hadn't felt so lost for a long time.

xXx

Linka got to her feet, still a little unsteady. She had decided there was no point in sitting there, alone, in the dark. She needed to find someone. Shelter. A person who could tell her exactly what was going on. She refused to believe that Blight could send so many dead animals to a strange planet and not have it noticed by someone.

She started walking, the enormous moon overhead casting enough light for her to see easily. She clambered through a fence and decided to follow it. Walking in a straight line would help if she needed to double-back for any reason.

Now and then she stopped, and listened to her racing heart and her trembling breath. She glanced around, terrified that something (someone) was following her, and at the same time, hoping that was the case. She wasn't sure whether or not it was more frightening to be alone or to be with someone.

For a moment, she craved Victor, and she blinked back tears at the thought. Anything familiar would have been welcome, but Viktor's abrasive personality and cold confidence could have fit in so easily with this situation. He'd take charge and she wouldn't have to worry about what to do next. She glanced around again, her skin prickling slightly, before she continued on her way.

She found herself shedding her layers. The breeze was warm and she still had all her thermal gear on. She wrapped it all up – fashioning a rough bundle out of her thick jacket and clutching it tightly as she wandered along, nervously keeping her eye out for any signs of life.

Now and then a moth would float by, and she could hear insects and small animals scurrying through the grass. Nothing big enough to truly frighten her, though she wished she could see them in order to make sure they were familiar creatures.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been walking when she became aware of the fact the moon hadn't moved. It still hung low in the sky, above the hills in front of her. The gas clouds (or whatever they were) shifted and shimmered incessantly, but the moon was still. She wasn't sure what that meant, or if it was important.

When the fence ended, she hovered for a moment, not exactly sure what to do next. There were more woods off to her right, but the moon didn't penetrate the thick treetops. She wanted to avoid the dark, if possible.

She stayed close to the tree line, reasoning she could run into the woods and hide, if need be.

She was beginning to tire. It had been a long time since she'd slept, and the stress and despair of the situation was weighing heavily on her. Tears ran down her face as she scrambled up the next hill, her muscles aching in protest at any further exertion.

She stopped and breathed heavily, blinking back more tears, wondering if she was going the right way. Wondering if she should be moving at all.

Behind her, two orange pulses flashed across the sky.

xXx

Gaia sat next to Ma-Ti. For the first time, he noticed that she looked tired.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

She nodded and motioned towards the papers that Wheeler had been dozing on top of. "Do you recognise these symbols, Ma-Ti?"

He glanced at them. "No. Should I?"

"It's been a long time since he's seen them, Gaia," Captain Planet said, not sounding surprised when Ma-Ti failed to identify the symbols in front of him.

"What are they?" Ma-Ti asked in surprise. "They look completely foreign."

"They _are_ completely foreign," Gaia said. "Remember when you first met Zarm?"

Ma-Ti blinked and nodded. "He pretended to be an alien..." He trailed off and looked back at the symbols in front of him, finally starting to understand.

"I'm not sure if Zarm is involved or if Blight has simply managed to steal his technology," Gaia said, sounding worried.

"These symbols are real?" Ma-Ti asked. "But you don't have strange symbols written everywhere... I thought Zarm was a spirit, like you."

"He is," Gaia answered. "He's – he's been causing trouble elsewhere."

Ma-Ti put his head in his hands. He felt sluggish and he had a headache – something he thought he could contribute to Captain Planet being trapped there with them. Ma-Ti had never previously felt his power being _in use_ – but he could feel it now and it wasn't pleasant.

"Where else does he go?" Ma-Ti asked curiously. "How far can he travel?"

He suddenly realised it was an ignorant thought to assume Earth was the only planet with established life forms. Had he not known about Gaia or Captain Planet or the powers available to the Planeteers, he may have been able to simply accept that the universe was a small place.

But he knew exactly what sort of wonderful things were out there. And he knew that they could be matched by things equally terrible. Zarm attempting to manipulate the people or creatures of other planets suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched.

With surprise, he noticed Gaia looked nervous. She was fidgeting slightly with the papers in front of her, a slight frown creasing her brow. It was disconcerting to see her that way and Ma-Ti rubbed his temples.

Captain Planet suddenly clicked his fingers and grinned. "Dimension shift," he said, grinning and nodding.

Gaia looked up at him rather wearily; Ma-Ti with confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I knew I felt something off," Cap continued with a small sigh. "Blight's crossed into an alternate dimension. Or universe, if you like."

Ma-Ti looked at him anxiously. "Maybe you should get Wheeler," he said. "He watches more television than I do and can probably understand this better. There's this thing called Star Trek –"

"I know it seems weird," Captain Planet agreed.

Ma-Ti raised his eyebrow slightly, watching as Captain Planet sat opposite Gaia.

"You already suspected this," Cap said, sounding slightly accusing.

Gaia sighed. "Zarm was banished years ago," she said. "I don't know all the details, but it's clear drastic measures were taken. It's possible he's been locked away in another dimension by the elders who hold jurisdiction."

"Where?" Ma-Ti asked curiously.

"I don't know, Ma-Ti. I don't have the right to ask. But it's not impossible he was removed from our timeline altogether and he's trapped in some other dimension somewhere. Maybe he reached Blight somehow."

"You think Blight's trying to bring Zarm back?" Ma-Ti asked incredulously.

"I don't know," Gaia admitted, sounding uncomfortable. "There are a lot of rules and layers here and I'm not sure how they all fit together. But she's definitely using Zarm's technology, and I can't see any other reason for her to attempt a dimension shift like this. It's unstable and dangerous."

"That's never stopped her before," Captain Planet muttered.

"So Linka is trapped wherever Zarm is?" Ma-Ti asked. "Can't you ask your... superiors? Can they tell us where she is? Can't they get her back?"

"I can try, but it will take a long time to get answers, Ma-Ti," Gaia admitted. "You might have better luck going straight back to Blight and asking –"

She broke off and looked up in alarm as Captain Planet gave a hoarse cry and clutched his head.

"What is it?" Ma-Ti asked anxiously. He could see Cap trembling, his face contorted. He shook his head slowly, unable to answer.

Kwame burst in seconds later, breathless, his face the image of terror. "Gi is gone," he blurted.

Gaia wheeled around to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"She was there," Kwame explained desperately, looking extremely sick. "She was right there next to me, and then there was an orange flash, and now she is gone."

xXx


	9. Families and Enemies

 

Blight leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. She had known there'd be some side effects, but it wasn't pleasant even after preparing for it. She wiped her forehead and glanced around. She'd managed to stagger away from the rotting corpses of the animals, but the smell still caused her to feel ill.

She blew out a soft sigh and straightened up, glancing around. Her eyes fell upon a crumpled figure a few feet away. She was stirring quietly, obviously sick and dizzy.

Blight frowned and tutted. "There's a glitch I hadn't anticipated," she muttered. She checked the hand-held teleport gun in her hand, glaring down at it. "What the hell happened?"

The figure on the ground groaned and quivered slightly.

Blight sighed and shoved the gun back into her bag, checking the location of the enormous moon in the sky before she disappeared into the trees, leaving Gi crumpled on the ground behind her.

xXx

Sweat ran freely across Linka's skin. She sank into the grass at the top of the hill, trying to catch her breath. For the past hour she had been trying to imagine what lay over the crest of its peak, but she certainly hadn't expected what lay before her.

She had _hoped_ to see some sign of civilisation. A city. A town. Even just one small light, quivering in the distance, which could indicate she wasn't alone.

But everything ahead was misty shades of purple and blue. She wasn't sure if she'd stumbled upon a lake or an ocean. The water stretched away to the horizon, purple and twinkling. The surface shifted uneasily, but the reflection of the moon stood as a solid glow, reflecting back up to the sky. Either side of the water, mountains rose higher and higher, rolling away until they disappeared into the mist.

She started to cry again, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking slowly. For the first time, she allowed herself to think properly about what had happened. She wondered what had happened to the others. She wiped her eyes and held her hand out shakily, clenching her fist.

"Wind," she whispered. She looked at the rustling grass in front of her. The gentle breeze shifted the stalks gently, but it had nothing to do with Linka or her ring.

She sighed and dropped her hand.

 _Wheeler will not stop looking for me,_ she thought to herself. _He travelled all around Russia to find me. He will not let Blight separate us now._

She rested her chin on her knees and gazed down at the view in front of her. It was oddly beautiful, but it seemed to further emphasise the fact that she was terribly, terribly alone.

"Stop it, Linka," she whispered, wiping her eyes again. "Be logical. Think." She frowned.

 _Blight has, somehow, made a teleportation device. There must be a reason it was programmed to send me here._

She looked around helplessly. She had no idea why Blight would choose _this_ destination – or how she would even know about it.

She sighed, still feeling dizzy, and still feeling extremely tired. She curled up in the grass, watching the sky drift and shimmer above her.

xXx

Wheeler's leg bounced impatiently as he sat in The Crystal Chamber. Gaia and Captain Planet had disappeared, trying to figure out what Blight's jet ran on and whether or not an alternative fuel supply could get them back to her lab in Antarctica.

Guilt and fear sat like lead in his stomach.

Beside him, Kwame had his head in his hands.

"It's not your fault," Ma-Ti was telling him gently. "It's got something to do with that first teleport beam that hit her. Maybe she's back in Blight's lab."

Kwame just nodded silently.

"I shouldn't have been such a jerk to her," Wheeler whispered. His head throbbed and his chest ached as he tried to imagine what had happened to Gi and Linka. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't left things right with either of them. He had treated Gi so badly, blaming her for everything that had gone wrong over the past few hours. And Linka...

He swallowed carefully. He couldn't describe what she meant to him. He wasn't sure, entirely, that there were proper words to describe it. He wasn't sure what he felt was conventional. Wheeler and conventional rarely went hand-in-hand. But there was a definite hollow inside of him that he had an unfortunate familiarity with. It had been forgotten after finding Linka in Moscow. But it was back now, and he was finding it more painful than ever. He wished he had explained to her exactly how useless and empty he was without her.

He ran a hand through his hair. "What are we gonna do?" he asked softly.

"We go and demand answers from Blight," Kwame said. "And we get Linka and Gi back."

Wheeler put his head in his hands, matching Kwame's position beside him. Ma-Ti looked at them both sympathetically.

"Are you ready?" Gaia stood in the doorway, watching them all.

Wheeler staggered quickly to his feet. "Yeah."

"You have to take Blight's jet back. But its energy sources have been... refurbished a little." She gave them all a small smile. "Be careful, Planeteers. If Blight _has_ managed to crack the wall between dimensions, it could have some very dangerous results."

"She's really trying to get to Zarm?" Ma-Ti asked worriedly.

Gaia nodded. "I think so. That's the only explanation I can come up with."

"Why does Zarm want to come back?" Kwame asked, frowning.

"Nobody likes being banished," Gaia answered. "He doesn't take kindly to discipline."

"Come on," Ma-Ti said softly. "Let's go and get some answers."

Wheeler led the way, a determined set on his shoulders. Ma-Ti followed him, watching him thoughtfully. He knew Wheeler had no intention of returning to Hope Island without Linka and Gi coming with him.

Kwame followed them. His mouth was dry and his hands were shaking. He wasn't sure what he'd do if the Planeteers failed to find one another again. To have been through so much, only to be together again so fleetingly...

He swallowed hard. _No,_ he thought fiercely. _I will get them back. Both of them. I will bring our team together again._

xXx

 _"Kwame?"_

 _He turned and smiled at Makena. "Hm?"_

 _"Where's Safi?"_

 _Kwame glanced down to his feet. His stomach plummeted. Safi had been there just seconds ago. Kwame was digging a vegetable patch beneath the kitchen window and Safi had been clawing through the dirt and attempting to dig earth with a trowel and his chubby hands, giggling and babbling happily up at his father._

 _"He was here," Kwame said, his voice cracking in panic. He spun around and ran his eyes over the front yard. "He was right here!"_

 _Makena ran out into the yard. "Go that way," she said desperately, pointing to the side of the house. "He can't have gone far..."_

 _Safi hadn't been walking for long, but he was quick on his feet. His chubby little legs would carry him as fast as he could go, and he'd scream with laughter whenever one of his parents chased after him, growling and blowing against his bare belly._

 _Kwame dropped his spade and ran to the side of the house. "Safi!" he called urgently. "Safi!"_

 _He saw him immediately and his heart starting beating again as relief swept through him. Safi pointed to the chickens through the fence and looked back at his father with a smile._

 _Kwame swept the little boy up into his arms. "Do not ever do that again," he said desperately, kissing his son's cheek. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"_

 _He turned back to the house and called out to Makena. She appeared quickly, and Kwame saw the relief register on her face._

 _"I only looked away for a second," he said desperately, his relief being replaced with hot guilt. "He must have seen the chickens and run after them..."_

 _Makena just smiled at him and wrapped her arms around both of them. Safi smiled and rested his head against Kwame's shoulder._

 _Kwame sighed and hugged his family to him desperately. "I love you both so much," he breathed. "You are everything to me."_

xXx

"What is he dreaming about?" Ma-Ti asked worriedly, glancing back over his shoulder as Kwame muttered and twitched in the seat behind him.

Captain Planet glanced at him. "Should I check?"

Kwame muttered again, shifting restlessly.

"No," Ma-Ti said after a moment. "It's his family."

Cap looked at him curiously. "How do you know?"

Ma-Ti rubbed his forehead. Since leaving Hope Island again, he could feel the drain of Captain Planet's presence more than ever.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the window. "He has only just opened himself to the idea of having a family again," he said, "And he thinks he is losing us."

xXx

Gi fell to her knees the moment she emerged from the trees. She was too distraught to even register the supernatural sky above her. She hugged herself, sobbing, tears streaming down her cheeks.

One moment she'd been sleeping soundly with Kwame's arm securely wrapped around her shoulders, and the next she was sprawled face-down in the grass, pain aching and burning through her bones and the stench of death and rotting meat in her nostrils.

"God," she sobbed, wiping her eyes. She looked around frantically, trying to figure out what had happened. Rolling hills stood silently in front of her, and she caught sight of a figure moving through the waist-long grass.

"Blight," she gasped. She staggered to her feet and hurried after the demented scientist, knowing that she was probably safer with her than without her.

Blight hummed to herself as she strolled along. Everything, so far, had gone exactly as she'd predicted. Except, of course, for that stupid glitch in the hand-held teleportation device. She frowned, trying to figure out exactly why the other Planeteer had been transported with her. She hoped it wouldn't complicate the trip home – but Zarm could always help her out with that, if necessary. She knew how to build the technology now and she was sure with his presence around she could find a way back.

 _He'd better not have given up on me,_ she thought after a moment, feeling a wave of fury. _Nine years I've spent on this damn thing, and I'm not even entirely sure what he's going to give me in return._

She unzipped her jacket and discarded it, sweat already running freely down her face.

"Damn," she breathed. "Maybe I should have built a gym or something instead of all those prisoner cells."

She was helplessly unfit. The long grass and the humidity didn't help her progress at all. It wasn't long before she became aware of someone following her.

"Blight!" Gi called desperately.

"Oh, great," Blight groaned. "Get lost, puddles."

"Where are we?"

Blight suddenly felt enormous satisfaction after hearing the terror in the Planeteer's voice.

She smirked, barely glancing at the girl as she finally caught up to her.

"What are we doing here?" Gi asked desperately, clutching her side. She felt like she needed to be sick.

"I know what _I'm_ doing here," Blight snapped. "I don't know what _you're_ doing here. There's a glitch in my technology that I missed somehow. It transported you here remotely. If you screw up my chances of going home, this thing will roast you into a pretty little cloud of dust." She touched the handle of her teleport gun gently.

"Where's Linka?" Gi asked desperately. "Is she here?"

"Probably," Blight said candidly. "I have somewhere to be. So why don't you take a lone tour, instead of following me around?"

"Please," Gi sobbed, "I want to go home. Send me home. I don't even care what you're doing here, okay? Just send me home."

Blight smirked. "Nah. I've got things to do and people to meet. I can't afford to waste time on a damn Planeteer."

They reached the top of the hill at the same time. Blight gave a satisfied grin and took off again, not pausing to catch her breath. The lake shimmered and shifted in front of them. The sight of it gave Gi a headache.

"Ha!" Blight let out a soft cackle and picked up her pace, heading for the base of the hill and the silvery beach that bordered the lilac-coloured lake.

Gi noticed a small rowboat and realised, with sick fury, that Blight was expected there.

"Where are you going?" she asked angrily. "You can't just leave me here, Blight!"

Blight threw herself into the rowboat and let it drift out of Gi's reach. "Watch me," she said with a grin.

Gi hovered at the edge of the lake. It didn't look very deep, but nor did it look like water. It seemed to have the consistency of thickened cream, and the way it shifted and moved so silently and restlessly made her uneasy.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she cried, watching Blight drift further away.

"I told you," Blight called, "I have someone I need to meet. Take a tour. Enjoy the moonlight." She threw her head back and laughed.

xXx

Linka jumped, and her eyes flew open. She sat up in alarm, amazed and upset that she had managed to fall asleep. She scrambled out of the small nest of grass she had nestled into and looked around for whatever had disturbed her.

She saw the boat first, drifting away from the shore of the lake. When she heard the voices bickering, she shifted her attention to the figure on the shore.

"Gi," she gasped. She took off running, tripping and scrambling down the side of the hill. "Gi!" she cried. She was desperately afraid that Gi would suddenly vanish.

Gi spun around in alarm, her eyes raking the silvery hillside. She saw Linka sprinting towards her, tearing through the long grass, tripping up and staggering in her haste.

"Shit," Blight said in annoyance. She took up the paddles and started rowing, pushing the boat further towards the middle of the lake, away from the shore and away from the Planeteers.

Linka collided heavily with Gi, sobbing desperately, clutching the Water Planeteer tightly.

"I have never been so relieved to see anyone!" she sobbed, burying her face in Gi's shoulder as they lay tangled and sprawled on the beach.

Despite their situation and location, Gi couldn't help but feel a surge of personal triumph and hope. "Really?' she asked desperately, clinging tightly to Linka.

Linka sobbed and gave a soft moan. "Where are we?" she asked. "I have been so frightened."

"Me too," Gi admitted, rubbing at the tears streaming down her face. She sat up, pulling Linka with her. "Are you hurt?"

" _Nyet_ ," Linka gasped softly. She remembered the boat and looked up, blinking to clear her eyes. "Blight?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." Gi staggered to her feet and Linka stood beside her. "She said she's going to meet someone."

She looked at Linka and took her hand. "We have to figure out why we're here," she said softly.

Linka nodded and wiped her face, though she didn't let go of Gi's fingers. "We should not lose Blight," she croaked. "She is the only way we can get home."

"We need another boat," Gi said desperately. "I don't think that's water. I don't think it's safe to go in there."

The girls stood on the shore, hand-in-hand, watching helplessly as Blight rowed further and further away.

xXx

Blight leaned back in the prow of the boat leisurely, letting the motion of the water carry her further out into the middle. She watched the moon intently, though it was difficult to tell exactly how far out she needed to be. Zarm hadn't been too specific. All he'd said was that the lake was the best landmark for her to aim for, and that – somehow – he'd know she was there once she rowed out upon its surface.

It had left her with more questions than answers – but there she was, finally. Floating on the ridiculously creepy lake...

She glanced down. The moon was still and solid on the surface of the water. She watched it, feeling slightly uneasy. The reflection almost appeared to be _beneath_ the water itself.

She was so distracted she didn't notice Zarm arrive until he cleared his throat. She jolted and the boat rocked unsteadily.

"You took your time," he said, raising an eyebrow at her as he settled himself opposite her.

"If that's going to be your attitude, I'll just take off home again," she responded coolly. "Consider yourself lucky I was willing to help at all."

He chuckled. "I'll always be grateful, my dear."

"So what's the deal?" she asked bluntly, leaning back and regarding him seriously.

"We should go somewhere and talk," he said, motioning towards the shore. "Allow me to –"

"Stop right there," Blight demanded, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not moving until I've got my answers."

Zarm glanced at the lake's surface before giving Blight an amused look. "I see you still like to dish out orders," he said.

"Well I've been following yours for nine years, so now it's my turn," she answered. "Sit."

Zarm gave a soft sigh, looking about himself as he settled back onto the seat opposite Blight.

"Well?" she asked.

"Will your technology allow us a safe passage back to Earth?" he asked.

"Of course it will," she snapped. "Though, you'll need a solid body to travel in. And don't even _think_ about squirming your way into mine."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Of course not. I have others I can use. I need you to transport myself and some friends back to Gaia's planet."

"You have friends?" Blight asked, picking lint off the front of her pink suit distractedly.

"I do." He smirked. "I want to introduce them to Gaia."

"Sounds fun," Blight said. "Who are they?"

"I think they'll amuse you," Zarm answered. "But I'll be honest – I thought it might take you longer to get here."

"Those formulas you sent me sped things up a little," she admitted. She paused for a moment. "There is one odd little complication," she said. "I uh – I tested this ray on someone else." She held up the hand-held teleport gun. "Then I tested the bigger ray on a second subject. Both worked perfectly. But when I used the bigger ray to transport myself here, it brought the _first_ test subject with me. I'll have to figure that out. It makes no sense."

Zarm didn't look like he cared too much. "We should go," he said. "How many people can you transport back?"

"As many as I need to," she said defensively. "There's no limit."

"Good," he said, smirking again. "I want myself and five others transported back."

"Does Gaia know you're coming?" Blight asked curiously.

"She may suspect something," Zarm admitted. "Though she probably thinks she's safe from my return. Nobody ever returns after banishment."

It was Blight's turn to smirk. "Why was that again?"

"I may have sent a few asteroids spinning a little too close to a few planets," Zarm said dismissively. "I didn't think they'd be able to trace it back to me."

Blight rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised that arrogance had been his downfall.

xXx

"Who _is_ that?" Gi asked, squinting out towards the boat.

Linka narrowed her eyes. "MAL," she said. "He is transparent. He is in his hologram form."

Gi bit her lip and shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so, Linka. MAL isn't that big..."

Linka squinted, focusing her eyes on the rowboat again. Blight had managed to row quite a way out. " _Bozhe moy,_ " she exclaimed suddenly, "That is Zarm!"

"Are you sure?" Gi asked, her eyes widening. She suddenly realised Linka was right. "What's he doing here?"

Linka just shook her head. She was furious, all of a sudden. "They are up to something," she said, venom in her voice. "It is his fault we are here! He is the reason she chose this place!"

Gi ran her hand through her hair. She and Linka still clung to one another's fingers tightly, standing on the edge of the lake. "What do we do now?"

Linka shrugged, biting her lip. "Wait for them to come back to shore?"

"It's too far to swim," Gi agreed. "Our rings aren't going to work." She gave a heavy sigh. "And that's one less power for Cap, back home."

Linka looked at Gi in alarm. "What do you mean?"

"He's jammed," Gi explained. "He can't return his powers until we get back. And using our individual powers creates this..." She trailed off and shrugged. "It hurts. Kwame and Ma-Ti are feeling pretty sick."

Linka swallowed carefully. "Is Wheeler okay?"

Gi fought tears back, but was eventually unsuccessful. Her voice was a husk. "He's mad at me," she said. "He blames me for what happened to you. He's not going to stop until he finds you." She squeezed Linka's hand gently.

Linka nodded slowly and expelled a long breath. "We need to get home," she whispered. She focused her eyes back on the rowboat in the middle of the lake. "We need some answers."

"Let's get their attention and get some, then," Gi said. She bent and picked up a small rock, hurling it out over the lake towards Blight and Zarm in the boat. It fell well short, but made a solid _plunk_ as it hit the waves.

In the boat, Zarm sat up in alarm, looking behind him. "What was that?"

"Who cares?" Blight asked flippantly.

Zarm tutted a small sound of impatience. "I think it's time I introduced you to our travelling companions," he said. He smirked. "They're very, very good at what they do."

"And what is it that they do?" Blight asked curiously.

Zarm chuckled and reached his hand out over the water. "I'll get them to show you." He sent a wide array of blue sparks down onto the surface of the water.

To Blight's alarm, the surface caught fire, blue flames racing outwards from the boat towards the shore. They weren't hot, but it frightened her and she gave a shriek before the flames disappeared with a loud _thwump._

On the shore, Gi and Linka ran a few steps backwards, the sudden light and noise frightening them both back into the waist-high grass. _  
_

"That should do it," Zarm said nonchalantly, inspecting his fingernails.

"That should do what?" Blight asked sharply, not appreciating the act at all.

"Start an argument," Zarm said. He nodded towards the shore over Blight's shoulder. "Between them," he said, "and that..." He tilted his head to the side.

Blight turned and squinted. On the shore, by the shadows of the woods, she could see five tall figures standing side-by-side, watching them.

"Who are they?" she asked nervously, starting to doubt her genius plan for the first time since its inception. "And who are they going to fight?"

"They are our allies," Zarm answered. "And _that_ is the current enemy."

He pointed to the surface of the water.

"I don't think it likes fire," Zarm said, sounding rather excited. "This should get it a rise out of it..."

"Out of what?" Blight snapped, fresh-out of patience. She looked down into the lake.

The reflection of the moon, which looked so trapped and still beneath surface of the water, stared back at her, before it very slowly, very deliberately, blinked.

xXx


	10. Apologies

 

Wheeler had taken to kicking the wall panels in order to find the touch-sensitive circuits. Doors slid open violently, but he'd given up hope. Gi wasn't there. Blight was nowhere to be found – and neither was MAL.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed back down the corridor. Kwame, Ma-Ti and Captain Planet were all sticking together. Each of them seemed to be suffering greatly now they were no longer on Hope Island.

"No one's here," Wheeler muttered, confirming their thoughts.

"There is no other transport missing," Kwame said, rubbing his brow. "She must have travelled via..." He trailed off and motioned to the tractor beam.

"So send me," Wheeler said suddenly. "Use it on me. I'll follow Linka and Gi. I'll bring them home." His heart suddenly lifted and he felt a huge sweep of relief. It was as simple as that – using the teleport beam would lead him to the girls.

"I can't let you do that," Captain Planet said reluctantly.

Wheeler glared at him. "Why not?"

"It'll be three of five at the wrong end of the scale. It will tip the balance of the Planeteers into the other dimension," Cap explained patiently. "I'll break apart."

Ma-Ti glanced at him worriedly. "You will?"

"You have to understand how fragile and unstable everything is," Captain Planet said. "Blight and Zarm are attempting something that could rip everything apart at the seams. I have no idea what they're attempting to do, but with Linka and Gi already pulling away from me, I have to keep you guys here." He looked at Wheeler and gave a slight shrug. "Sorry."

Wheeler's hopes crashed again. He leaned against the wall. "So, what now?" he asked softly. "Blight's gone. MAL's gone. We're not going to get any answers from them."

"There must be some paper work or something here somewhere," Kwame said desperately. "Blight said she has been here for years. There must be clues as to what she has been doing and who she has had contact with."

"Sometimes it's not even hidden," Captain Planet mused.

Wheeler blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"

Captain Planet nodded to the central desk, where Blight had apparently spent most of her time. "Seen any other photos around?"

Ma-Ti reached out with slightly trembling fingers and picked up a photo frame, turning it around to show the others.

Looten Plunder smirked back at them.

"Call me crazy," Cap said with a slight grin, "But I'd reckon that's a clue."

xXx

"What the hell is that?" Blight asked, gazing down at the giant orb below the surface. She was too terrified to feign any other sort of emotion.

"I'm not entirely sure," Zarm mused. "I've never checked."

Blight spun around and pointed her teleport gun at him. "Take me to shore," she demanded. "If you think you're pushing me overboard to be eaten by that thing, you've got another thing coming."

Zarm laughed. "Dear, dear Dr. Blight," he said. "Do you really think I'd lead you out to the middle of a lake only to see you smashed up by a giant sea-creature?"

Blight glared at him with her good eye. "You led me out to the middle of a lake for _something_ ," she said icily.

"My friends are alerted whenever the creature stirs," Zarm said, sounding bored. "It stirred when you started rowing out here. That's how I knew you'd arrived. Nobody else is stupid enough to float out here."

"Fuck you!" Blight shrieked hysterically. She clutched MAL's laptop to her chest and kept the gun trained on Zarm. "Get me out of here right now!"

"Just wait," Zarm said. "They'll get us out of here safely." He glanced to the five figures on the shore again. "Regardless, that won't work on me," he added, nodding towards the teleport gun. "Not until I'm a solid form, anyway."

"Don't be so sure," Blight said breathlessly. "Poor MAL was subjected to some very nasty experiments before I tried this on solid beings..."

Zarm blinked, silent for several long moments. "Trust me, Blight," he said seriously. "My friends here are very good. This is the ultimate test – the biggest enemy I could possibly have summoned. And _they_ will prevail."

As the first enormous tentacle rose up out of the water, Blight looked out towards the five figures standing on the shore. Blue pulses of light raced along the water's surface, and everything heaved as a heavy roar erupted from the frothing waves.

xXx

Wheeler was doing his best to stay calm, but it was difficult. Kwame watched as Ma-Ti carefully explained the plan again.

"We cannot leave Captain Planet," Ma-Ti said gently, motioning to himself and Kwame. "The further away he goes, the more pain we are in. I do not think I could stand it if he went beyond the next room..."

Kwame nodded in silent agreement. It was a constant headache and a heavy, heavy weight in his stomach. He found himself hovering close to Captain Planet and occasionally reaching out to grasp his shoulder in an effort to ease the discomfort. Contact seemed to help.

"So we all go together," Wheeler said desperately. "We know where he is, right?"

Ma-Ti looked at the scrap of paper in his hands. They'd found it in Blight's bedroom after turning everything else upside down in an effort to track Plunder's whereabouts. An address that looked as though it had been crammed into the back of a drawer for several years...

"I think someone should stay here," Ma-Ti offered carefully. "Maybe there's a way we can reverse the effects Blight has put in motion. Maybe we can bring Linka and Gi back by using the equipment that is already here. Gi was not hit with the beam the second time but she was still transported. Maybe it does not require a direct hit. Maybe we can track them somehow and bring them back..."

"Okay, okay let's do that then," Wheeler said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was swaying on his feet.

"I still think finding Plunder is a good idea," Ma-Ti said firmly. "I think you should try and find him, Wheeler."

Wheeler sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Okay, yeah. I'll go do that. I'll take Blight's jet, if you guys are okay to stay here until I get back..."

"Wait, Wheeler," Kwame said softly. "You cannot go yet."

"Why not?" he asked irritably.

"You are exhausted," Kwame said softly. "You must sleep, first."

"I can sleep on the way," Wheeler snapped.

"You will be no help to any of us if you crash into the ocean," Kwame answered, somewhat impatiently. "Get some sleep before you leave." He softened his tone again and looked at Wheeler desperately. "Please."

Captain Planet clapped Wheeler's shoulder. "Come on," he said. "Just a few hours, Wheeler. Linka and Gi are together, I'm sure."

"You are?" Wheeler asked weakly.

Captain Planet nodded and smiled kindly. "They can take care of themselves," he said. "Get some sleep, okay?" He turned to Kwame and Ma-Ti. "You too, guys. I'll hunt around for the hardware listed in Blight's plans for the ray gun and when you wake up, we'll tackle this thing head on."

Wheeler wanted to argue. He didn't _want_ to sleep. He wanted to find Linka. Now. But he found his knees sagging and Kwame had to half-drag him to the nearest cell, lowering him heavily onto the bunk.

He patted Wheeler's shoulder, breathing heavily, feeling the effects of his new distance from Captain Planet.

"Sleep, my friend," he said. "You will need your wits about you if you are going to find Plunder."

xXx

The noise still rang in Linka's ears. The high, wailing screech that had pierced the air as the – the _thing_ , whatever it was – had risen from the lake with tentacles and teeth raised. She and Gi had emitted matching screams of terror before fleeing towards the woods, heading for the shelter of the trees. One heavy, dark tentacle had flung outwards and slammed into the hill, creating a new valley and uprooting the grass and trees as it thrashed about angrily.

The woods, as it turned out, had been the most dangerous place to run. The tentacle had swept sideways, crashing through the trees, uprooting them and snapping them in half like toothpicks. Linka had barely registered the flashing lights on the opposite shore – so desperate to get away from the monster and the towering waves of water she ignored everything but the ground in front of her and the grip of Gi's hand on her own.

"Gi?" She lifted her head. She couldn't remember falling. She shifted gingerly, disturbing broken branches and torn grass that lay scattered about on the ground around her. The smell of wet earth was rich and warm, and leaves and debris clung to her as she sat up.

"Gi?"

Panic washed over her. She couldn't remember letting go of Gi's hand. What if she'd let go and left Gi behind? What if she had been hurt?

She scrambled to her feet. "Gi!" she cried desperately, not caring about the possibility of being overheard by the lake creature or its light-flashing friends.

"Gi!"

"Here..." Gi sat up weakly, clutching her head. She could feel wet blood on her cheek, which was still stinging.

Linka ran and crashed through the debris until she reached the Water Planeteer, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around her.

"Thank goodness," she breathed tearfully. "I was afraid I was alone again..."

Gi smiled tiredly. "Nah..."

Linka shivered and looked back towards the surface of the lake. The water was a muddly, bloody brown. "Did you see what happened?" she asked.

Gi mumbled something, her eyelids fluttering.

" _Nyet,_ Gi, do not fall asleep," Linka begged tearfully. "Please..." She shook her gently, but the effects of Gi's earlier concussion, combining with her exhaustion and the dizziness that had been forced upon her by Blight's technology, all caused her to sink into a faint.

Linka looked down at her worriedly. She shook Gi's shoulder gently. "Gi, please," she moaned, "I do not want to be here alone..." She wiped her eyes and waited a moment to see if Gi would wake.

Looking around, Zarm and Blight were nowhere to be seen.

 _Please still be alive, Blight,_ Linka thought desperately. _You are the only way we can get home._

xXx

Wheeler awoke with a jerk. He'd been dreaming again.

It had been another trip to Antarctica. Their second, if he was remembering correctly. Blight. Again.

And he, Wheeler, had been hasty and irrational in a mission to save Captain Planet. Linka had tried to stop him – tried to tell him that his way was not the best way. That it wasn't always action that mattered. It took careful planning and strategy, first.

It took Gaia's arrival to stop their bickering, and he'd apologised first, already knowing he was the one who was wrong. Linka had apologised too. Shrugging at him adorably, looking at him from beneath her lashes and smiling shyly. He'd felt his stomach ripple with a delightful flurry of nerves and at that moment he managed to convince himself that it was worth being wrong if she was going to look at him like _that._

But she had been right. And if she had been there beside him in his current predicament, her advice would have been the same – strategy and careful planning before action.

Maybe. Then again, maybe not. He shook his head.

"Bet you wish I was all action now, babe," he muttered to himself. "I'd be there in a flash, I swear..." He sat up slightly and ran his hand over his face. Stubble scraped his palm and in the back of his mind he registered the need for a shower and a shave.

He looked about himself. He wasn't sure he'd had enough sleep, but he couldn't face another hour of sitting still.

He made his way back into the laboratory, stumbling slightly as he hit the harsh glare of the corridor. Kwame and Ma-Ti were both curled up on thin mattresses on the floor, sleeping. Captain Planet stood nearby, leaning over Blight's desk, gazing down at the plans.

"Hey," Wheeler whispered, clapping Captain Planet's shoulder gently, "I'm goin'."

Cap looked at him carefully. "You had enough shut-eye?"

"All I'm gonna get," Wheeler muttered, wishing he didn't sound so defensive.

"At least wait for the others to wake up," Cap said softly. "Kwame will worry if you head out without going over everything again."

Wheeler sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face again. "I'll give it an hour," he said. "That's it."

Captain Planet nodded, knowing he was lucky enough to have won one small battle with the Fire Planeteer.

Suddenly, a thought occurred and Wheeler froze. "Shit," he whispered, his eyes wide.

"What?" Cap asked in concern.

Wheeler clutched his hair briefly and breathed a sigh. "I gotta make a call."

xXx

Gi held her arm close to her chest. She still felt dizzy and sick.

"Is it broken?" Linka asked worriedly.

"I don't think so," Gi said, closing her eyes against a wave of nausea. "It just hurts. I fell on it..."

Linka took hold of Gi's arm gently, inspecting it. She couldn't see any physical injuries, but that didn't mean there was nothing wrong. She bit her lip and shrugged herself down next to Gi, their backs up against a splintered tree that lay flat along the ground.

They sat in silence for a while. Despite their current situation and general feeling of helplessness and the need to pull together, neither of them could forget the turmoil of their own personal relationship.

Gi felt slightly, stupidly grateful towards Blight. Terrible and frightening though it was, the situation seemed to be forcing Linka and Gi to get along.

"Hey, Linka?" Gi asked softly.

Linka looked at her rather nervously.

Gi could feel herself growing tearful again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Linka shook her head and brushed the back of her hand over her eyes. "I do not want to talk about it, Gi. Right now it feels like I will never see Wheeler again and..." She stopped and gave a sob, curling her knees up to her chest. "Every time you apologise I think about the two of you together."

"I'll stop," Gi hastened to say, forcing back the urge to apologise again. She took Linka's hand and squeezed it gently. "We'll be okay, Linka. Wheeler's going to get you home."

Linka just nodded, though she didn't appear to look entirely convinced.

She drew a shaky breath. "Gi," she said after a moment, "It was just that one time..." She trailed off, leaving half a question hanging in the air.

"One and – one and a bit," Gi stammered. "Just that one night, and some kissing. Just on that mission."

Linka wished she hadn't asked, but the curiosity had been too much. "There was nothing through all the years after the Planeteers split?"

"Oh, no," Gi said firmly. "No. I didn't see or hear from him at all for two years. He kind of – cut me out. But I don't think he meant to. I don't know. Things were hard for him. Losing you, and then his mom getting cancer like that..." She trailed off and shrugged. "He called when things got too bad, but we were always just friends. I met Jin and – anyway." She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. He always wanted you. What happened between Wheeler and I was comfort and impulse. Nothing deeper. You're the one he's meant to be with."

Linka wasn't sure if what she was hearing was comforting or not. On the one hand, it was difficult, remembering how terrible things had been. It was hard to imagine Wheeler and Gi being together. Though, _that_ memory had certainly been the most prevalent over the past ten years. Trying to imagine it despite the fact she didn't want to.

On the other hand, she felt a sweep of relief at Gi's insistence that it really had just been impulsive moments and comfort. She remembered that mission. She could remember falling asleep on the couch, wishing _she_ could crawl into Wheeler's bed to have him make a sleepy joke and wrap his arms around her in a soothing moment of comfort.

"It does not matter, now," she said softly. "Wheeler and I – we are together. Or – or we will be when..." She swallowed.

"You will be," Gi said, giving Linka a small smile. "Whatever the hell this place is, it's not far enough or weird enough to keep him from you."

Linka gave a soft chuckle and rested her head on Gi's shoulder. "I have missed you," she admitted. "I have not had many friends since the Planeteers split."

Gi kissed the top of her head and rested her cheek down with a sigh. It was tempting to fall asleep.

"We should try to follow Blight and Zarm," Linka said eventually, sounding just as exhausted as Gi felt.

"Did you see where they went?"

She shook her head slightly. "I do not remember what happened," she admitted, frowning in confusion. "The – the tentacles... The teeth. And the water, everywhere... it was in towers and waves. Did you see it?"

"Yeah," Gi breathed. "I saw it."

Linka looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

Gi looked back at her in surprise. "You've seen water do that before," she said. "I've done it. Lots of times. Linka, didn't you notice the lights?"

"The lights," Linka said, her eyes widening a little as she remembered.

"Yeah..." Gi swallowed. "Those lights came from Planeteer rings."

xXx

Wheeler had discovered Blight's stash of cigars. He didn't fancy them much, but the craving for nicotine was too much. He watched the smoke rise into the still air, coiling and swirling gently, as he held his cell to his ear, waiting for an answer.

"Hello?"

"Mishka, it's me," Wheeler answered, feeling sick.

"Wheeler, do you know what time it is?"

"I'm sorry," Wheeler answered, automatically reverting to Russian at the sound of Mishka's voice. "Listen – somethin's happened."

There was a heartbeat of what seemed like very loud silence.

"You there?" Wheeler croaked.

"What has happened?" Mishka asked sharply.

"Linka – she's uh... She's gone," Wheeler said.

"What?" Mishka asked, sounding confused. "Is she coming home?" He sounded afraid, suddenly. "Victor?" he asked in a soft voice.

"No," Wheeler answered, closing his eyes. "Worse."

"How can it be worse?" Mishka asked angrily. "Wheeler, what is going on?"

"I know where she is," Wheeler said. "Sort of. She's in – she's not..." He drew a deep breath. "She's in another dimension."

"What?" Mishka snapped.

Wheeler felt a new wave of guilt and misery and helplessness wash over him. He let his knees buckle and he sank into the snow piled by the front door of Blight's fortress.

"I know where she is," he repeated. "I just don't think I can get her back."

He could hear Mishka's breath, desperate and afraid. "Wheeler, this is not possible," he gasped.

"Lots of things don't seem possible, Mishka," Wheeler muttered, resting his head back against the wall behind him. "You know what we deal with, here. This has got to do with Gaia's side of things, I think. I don't understand all that stuff, myself. But Blight managed to send Linka into a dimension she's been trying to enter using teleportation."

"Oh, God," Mishka said desperately.

"She's not alone," Wheeler said. "Gi's with her."

Mishka barked a short laugh. "I am sure Linka is very happy about that," he said. "I am sure Gi was her first choice."

"Look," Wheeler answered tiredly, "I'm too exhausted to argue about that, man."

"Well what can I do?" Mishka asked. "Tell me."

"We're on it, I promise," Wheeler answered softly. "I'll keep you posted, okay? I just had to let you know what had happened." He took a breath and continued before Mishka could interrupt. "I won't stop," he said softly. "I'll never stop looking for her. I'll find a way to get her back. Somehow."

It was a long time before Mishka answered. "I know," he said eventually. "You will keep looking for her. And I am sure she will wait for you to find her."

Wheeler found himself smiling wryly down at the snow. "Nah," he said. "Linka's done sitting around waiting for stuff to happen. For some reason, I've got the feeling she's about to take charge."

Mishka gave a soft chuckle in response. "I hope you're right," he answered.

"I think I am," Wheeler whispered. "Blight should watch her back."

"And you?" Mishka asked. "What are you doing to find her?"

"I'm gonna track down an old friend," Wheeler answered, digging Plunder's address out of his pocket. "It's time to get some answers. If anyone knows how this all started, it's Looten Plunder."

xXx


	11. Old Flames

 

"Maybe we should just wait for Wheeler, and Kwame, and Ma-Ti," Gi breathed, stumbling over twigs and branches. "Captain Planet is still around. Maybe we should wait for them. They'll come. I know they will."

" _Nyet_ ," Linka panted, clambering over the splintered remains of yet another tree. "I waited ten years for somebody to rescue me from Viktor. I could have prevented ten years of pain and misery if I had saved myself first." She glanced back and helped Gi over the broad trunk of the destroyed tree. "We have to save ourselves," she said, giving Gi a determined look. "Waiting amounts to nothing, Gi."

"You sound like Jin," Gi moaned, staggering again. She clutched her injured arm to her chest.

Linka wasn't sure what to say to that. Not too long ago, Gi had been sobbing on the beach on Hope Island because Jin had called to say he was getting remarried.

"You talk of him a lot," she ventured.

"I guess so," Gi mumbled.

"Do you still love him?" Linka stopped to help Gi over another fallen branch.

Gi looked at her in surprise, and then shifted her eyes to the next obstacle in her way. "I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't think so, until he called me the other night." She staggered again. "Can we rest?" she breathed.

Linka helped her down, feeling slightly frustrated at the lack of progress they seemed to be making through the shattered forest. Gi's arm was affecting her balance and the heat and humidity seemed to have grown worse.

Linka decided to ask a question that had been hovering at the edge of her mind for some time. "Did Wheeler like Jin?" she asked.

Gi gave a short laugh. "At first," she said. "Things changed after Jin and I started trying for a family. But I think it was because I was so stressed out and Wheeler was the outlet for all my tension. He only heard my frustrations. The bad side of Jin. Not the good side." She looked at Linka curiously. "Does he talk about him?" she asked.

"Not really," Linka answered, resting her chin on her knees and gazing out over the muddied lake in front of her. "He said you and I have a lot in common. I have been wondering what he meant by that."

Gi sighed and shrugged. "Jin wanted things a certain way," she said. "He had his life planned out and a schedule to keep. When it started looking like I wasn't going to fit into it properly, he tried to shape me the right way."

Linka looked at her in surprise, but Gi was quick to continue.

"He wasn't like Viktor," Gi said defensively. "At least – from what I heard when you told us all about him. Jin wasn't like that. But I guess I did have to sacrifice a lot of things I didn't want to give up. Like my job..." She shook her head. "I don't know. After we got married I realised our dreams didn't match up anymore. He wanted a family and I wanted a career."

Linka kept quiet. In her opinion, it didn't take fists and a temper to be manipulative and cruel. But she conceded that she was probably hearing the worst of Jin. There was a lot she didn't know about him, and Gi seemed to look back on her time with him with a certain fondness Linka couldn't recognise within herself when she thought of Viktor.

"We should keep going," she said after a moment. "We need to catch up to Blight."

"How do you know they came this way?" Gi asked, struggling to her feet again.

Linka shrugged. "They were standing near here. Perhaps we can track them somehow."

Gi sighed and followed her. It was the best plan either of them seemed to have.

xXx

Wheeler was still above the ocean when he became aware of MAL's presence.

He was a ghost, really. Barely a face. Just a pair of eyes and a mouth staring at him from one of the monitors on the control panel.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Wheeler muttered, feeling rather nervous after realising he wasn't truly alone.

"Watching you," MAL answered, sounding rather fuzzy and full of static. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"Do you have control of this thing?" Wheeler asked, clutching the flight controls.

"Regrettably, no," MAL answered. "I am not my full program."

"Didn't think so," Wheeler muttered.

"Where are you taking Dr. Blight's jet?" MAL asked. "Not back to Hope Island, this time?"

"No," Wheeler answered, leaning back in his chair tiredly. "I don't suppose you want to save me a trip and answer some questions about what Blight's up to, do you?"

"I'd rather not," MAL answered. "I'd rather see you try to figure it out yourself."

Wheeler rolled his eyes and scratched his cheek. "Where's Plunder?" he asked.

MAL's image wavered for a moment. "Looten Plunder?" he asked.

Wheeler rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, that Plunder," he answered.

MAL chuckled, fading in and out of sight. "Dr. Blight is very secretive when it comes to her past with Plunder," he said. "She hides things from me."

"I find that hard to believe," Wheeler answered.

MAL frowned. "I am a program she designed," he said. "I am always under her control. If she wishes to hide certain files or actions from me, she can do so quite easily."

"Doesn't that piss you off?" Wheeler asked, smirking at him.

MAL gazed back at him quietly. "You're chasing a woman all over the world," he said after a moment. "You feel strong loyalties with her. Why is it so difficult for you to understand I have strong loyalties with Blight when you feel the same way about _your_ blonde?"

Wheeler swallowed carefully. "You're a handful of pixels," he said. "You're designed to have strong loyalties."

Mal chuckled. "I'm more than a handful," he assured Wheeler. "And as for being programmed – all that tells me is that my behaviour is rational and yours is not."

Wheeler sank back into his seat, blinking tiredly. "Forget it, MAL," he muttered. "People have been trying to convince me to travel the path of rationality for years. I haven't listened yet."

"And you wonder why you're losing," MAL answered, fading from sight.

Wheeler watched him go, a sick feeling settling itself in his gut.

xXx

Blight wiped sweat from her brow and gazed back at the five strangers Zarm had ordered into a semi-circle in front of her.

"They're Planeteers," she said after a moment, sounding accusing and rather angry.

"Yes," Zarm answered. "They're _my_ Planeteers. Not like Gaia's Planeteers at all."

Blight began to feel a little excited by this. The Planeteers stood in front of her silently. On each wrist they wore a silver gauntlet – the substitute for the rings she was more familiar with, she supposed.

"So what's the deal?" she asked suddenly. "What are you planning to do?"

"Gaia is all I'm interested in," Zarm answered truthfully. "I have a score to settle with her."

Blight smirked. "Oh yes?"

Zarm gave her a withering look. "I've tried to settle it before," he admitted. "She and her damn Planeteers bested me. But not this time."

"So then what?" Blight asked. "You destroy Gaia, you destroy the world, and what am I left with?"

"No, Blight," Zarm answered impatiently, "I will not destroy _your_ petty little environment. Not totally."

"But if Gaia –"

"You are forgetting I am quite capable of sustaining an environment myself," he answered coldly. "I will simply take her place. And I will admit that things will be a little more – _interesting_ – after I do so, but I assure you, Earth will remain quite liveable for you and your friends."

Blight blinked, and smirked. "Good," she answered. "I've got a list of chemicals and technology a mile long. I'm aching to test it all on some of the bigger cities. I think I could flatten London or New York with the push of a single button." She shivered, her eyes wide with delight. The urge to _prove_ she could wreak such destruction was so much more thrilling than simply presenting the theory of possibility.

Zarm rubbed his hands together. "Shall we go, then?" he asked.

Blight hesitated. "Not yet," she answered. "I want to discuss this in more detail. I need assurances, Zarm."

He gave her another look of impatience.

"You've waited nine years," she snapped. "You can wait another hour. I don't want to return to Earth only to have this all blow up in my face."

"What do you want, a written contract?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she answered, smirking. "I've got a better way of doing things. Why do you think I brought MAL, and why do you think I designed a ray that can destroy non-material beings?"

Zarm watched nervously as she began to set up the laptop she'd been carrying.

He was beginning to think he'd underestimated Dr. Barbara Blight.

xXx

It took Wheeler a long time to reach Plunder's supposed headquarters. Mainly because he wasn't entirely sure how cloaked Blight's jet was when it came to official detection and radars. The last thing he wanted was to be ordered back by the government – or worse, to be shot down.

He wasn't sure if he'd made it undetected or not. The important thing was, he'd landed, and Plunder's building stood in front of him.

It looked deserted. The windows were dark – except for one or two on the top floor – and the high fence around the outside ensured visitors were kept at bay.

"Do give Mr. Plunder my regards," MAL drawled as Wheeler prepared to leave. "I haven't seen him in years."

Wheeler shot him a look and staggered out onto the pavement. Night had fallen and everything was eerily quiet. He stole around the fence, looking for a way in. A padlocked gate seemed to be the best bet. With a sigh, he heaved himself up the railings, throwing his jacket over the barbed wire at the top and rolling his way over. He fell heavily, too tired to fully prepare himself for the landing.

"Damn it," he coughed, staggering to his feet.

He looked up and froze. Argos Bleak stood in front of him, looking furious and nervous at the same time – something Wheeler hadn't ever considered possible.

"Hey," Wheeler said, giving him a small wave.

Bleak tightened his fists slightly, too surprised to say anything in return. All indications had been that it was _Blight's_ jet to have touched down nearby. Plunder had immediately sent him to investigate – and this was not what Bleak had expected.

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you I was only here to sell cookies, huh?" Wheeler asked.

Bleak flinched and scowled. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you were dead."

"Feels like it," Wheeler muttered. "But nah. Is Plunder home?"

Bleak grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him almost off his feet, forcing him forwards.

Wheeler looked up at the towering building as Bleak pushed him forwards. At the very top, silhouetted against one of the few lit windows, he thought he could see the shadow of a tall man.

xXx

"Are you sure about this, Ma-Ti?" Kwame asked nervously.

Ma-Ti chuckled. "Not at all," he admitted. "But unless you have a better idea..."

Kwame shook his head tiredly. They were surrounded by tangled wires and circuit boards and tools. Ma-Ti was pouring over the prints for Blight's ray gun as Kwame and Captain Planet followed his instructions to bind everything together.

So far, everything indicated that Ma-Ti had been right. The tools to make a duplicate of Blight's gun _did_ appear to be in the lab, and Ma-Ti was somehow able to interpret the designs on the numerous scrolls of paper. With Captain Planet's help, everything was taking place surprisingly quickly.

Kwame had previously ventured the idea of using the gun already sitting in the middle of the laboratory – but they had each then decided against it. The last thing they wanted to do was accidently destroy it and perhaps trap Linka and Gi forever.

So, duplicate it was.

"I can keep going if you guys need a break," Captain Planet offered after a while. "Maybe we can get this done by the time Wheeler gets back."

"Has anyone heard from him?" Ma-Ti asked worriedly.

Cap glanced at him. "I haven't tried. Do you think you could handle it?"

Ma-Ti swallowed nervously and then shook his head. "Let's give him another hour. He may not be there yet. I'll call his cell if we haven't heard from him soon."

Kwame looked over the finished portion of the gun – all tangled wires and remote connections that blinked and flickered. "It took Blight nine years to do this," he said. "She will hate us even more when she finds out we did it in two days."

Ma-Ti grinned. "We have the advantage of knowing what the finished product consists of," he said, waving the papers at Kwame gently.

"How'd you get so good at this stuff, Ma-Ti?" Cap asked, sounding suitably impressed and rather proud.

Ma-Ti smiled and shrugged. "Working in an office with a hopeless IT department forced me to get along with technology," he said. "Once I started, I found it interesting..." He looked down at the plans in front of him with a slight frown. "And, I admit," he said softly, "It all reminded me of Linka, and I suppose it helped me feel a little closer to her even when I never heard from her."

Kwame squeezed his shoulder. He knew what Ma-Ti meant. Not knowing where Linka was for all those years had been difficult. He could understand Ma-Ti's desire to grab hold of any tenuous connection to her.

"So, we finish this – and then what?" Cap asked.

"Gi was transported remotely from Hope Island," Ma-Ti said, frowning in concentration as he taped another set of wires together. "The big ray gun over there is essentially the same as the hand-held gun Blight has – it's just the set coordinates that are different. You get hit with the hand-held gun and it's supposed to send you to the platform over there." He pointed to the far wall where Gi had appeared after being hit by the gun the first time.

"But Gi is not here," Kwame said nervously, wondering again if what they were doing was a good idea.

Ma-Ti nodded. "There's a glitch," he agreed, "Between the hand-held gun and the gun Blight used to transport herself. A connection Blight missed. But she'll fix it. She has to, or she won't get home herself. It doesn't matter, anyway," he said. "We know the coordinates we want to set for Linka and Gi. The difficult ones are the ones we want to retrieve them from – but they're already programmed into the gun behind me. We just need to reverse them, hit the switch, and hope Linka and Gi appear in front of us."

"What happens if we get it wrong?" Kwame asked. "Will it hurt them?"

"I don't think anything will happen," Ma-Ti admitted. "We could try it on the gun already built, but I don't want anything to go wrong. If we jam it, or damage it somehow, I'm not sure what could happen."

"Maybe Wheeler should have stayed here to help," Kwame suggested, suddenly feeling a little more optimistic. He barely understood his own cell phone – he had no idea how Ma-Ti could be so sure of what he was doing, but the confidence was rather catching.

Ma-Ti shook his head with a smile. "I think beating some answers out of Looten Plunder is more Wheeler's style," he answered.

xXx

Plunder poured himself another glass of whiskey, listening to the ice shift and roll as he tilted it to his lips. From what he'd seen on the surveillance monitors, a drink was a sudden necessity.

He flipped through the manila folder slowly, letting his eyes trace each word of each document. It had taken a while, but he'd managed it. On four of the Planeteers, anyway. The blonde, apparently, had not been in touch with any of the others, and was thus more difficult to keep tabs on. But the others had all kept some sort of network between them – albeit patchy – and Plunder had traced each line and each link until he'd gained every available scrap of information.

The Heart Planeteer had been relatively easy. Working for a big environmental protection agency didn't really afford him much privacy. His name was scattered across treaties and documents like confetti.

The Water Planeteer had been a little more difficult. Earth, too, until his more recent appearance at a construction company in central Africa. Plunder had since discovered they'd each been off trying to start families.

Fire, however. He smirked. Fire had been the easiest of all to trace, and it was merely due to the fact Plunder had suffered an unfortunate run in with him several years ago. One of his timber mills had suffered a premature closure thanks to a meddling article published in some ridiculous eco-friendly journal. It had been easy to trace his name and his history, after that.

More importantly, it had been easy to trace his weaknesses.

He drained the glass and set it down, strolling towards the elevator.

The Fire Planeteer was putting up a good fight. It was true that Bleak was as strong and muscular as he'd ever been, but he wasn't as nimble, and Wheeler was doing a good job of staying free of him and the rope Bleak was trying to bind him with.

Wheeler spotted Plunder. "Call off your goon," he snapped. "I'm not here to fight."

Plunder smirked. "Leave him, Bleak." He ran his eyes up and down Wheeler's frame. He was thin, and pale, and his eyes were red and strained. He still looked like a drug addict. Plunder wondered what the hell had brought him here.

Wheeler straightened up, breathing heavily. Fighting off Bleak had drained him of what little energy he'd had.

"I need to know about Blight," Wheeler said. He looked on, noting the muscle that twitched in Plunder's jaw.

"I haven't seen or spoken to Dr. Blight in years," Plunder answered coolly. "I have no idea what she's doing."

"Yes you do," Wheeler snapped. "She's got a photo of you on her lab desk."

Plunder was silent for a long moment, but when he spoke, his voice was still hard and cold. "I wouldn't know anything about that," he answered.

"What are she and Zarm up to?" Wheeler asked, his voice rising as his patience completely left him. "Where did they go? When are they coming back and what the hell do you have to do with all of this?"

Plunder glanced at Bleak, and that was all he needed.

Caught by surprise, Wheeler was unable to fight him off. Bleak wrestled him into a chair and trussed him tightly.

"Fuck!" Wheeler roared at him in frustration. "I don't _care_ about you two! All I want is Blight!"

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I hand Dr. Blight over to you, Planeteer," Plunder answered in a hard voice. "Why don't you sit there and ponder your choice to come back to meddle in our affairs?" He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial, setting it on the table in front of Wheeler. "Maybe I can convince you to drop your new campaign?" he asked, smirking.

Wheeler swallowed and forced his eyes away from the heroin on the table. "Go to hell, Plunder," he answered.

Plunder chuckled and adjusted the cuffs of his shirt quietly. "Every junkie has his limits, Planeteer," he murmured. "Why don't you sit there and think about whether or not the pain of this crusade is worth it?"

Left alone in the tiny room, Wheeler's frustration and guilt and fear welled up inside him until he finally broke and began to sob.

xXx


	12. Sweat

 

Linka shuffled forward on her stomach, trying to keep her breathing quiet. Blight was a little way ahead of her, in the clearing, bent over her laptop with Zarm standing by.

It was clear now that the five tall strangers were Planeteers, though Linka didn't think they would be much help to her. She recognised the gauntlets on their arms – she had worn one herself, once. Zarm had handed them out and the feeling of such power and importance had all but destroyed her desire for good and sensible.

These Planeteers belonged to Zarm.

They were all of equal height, and very tall. She estimated they'd be at least head and shoulders above Kwame. Their hair was long and ragged. They looked dirty and bedraggled and that frightened her – as though they were half animal. They all looked spookily alike and the only way she could tell them apart was by the different coloured gauntlets on their wrists.

She recognised the symbol of Wind and glanced at the Planeteer up and down, wondering if there was a deeper connection between them. Wondering if somehow she'd be able to convince this alternate Wind Planeteer that what she (he?) was doing was wrong.

Her eyes landed on the Fire Planeteer and for a moment she felt a deep pang of grief and homesickness. She closed her eyes, willing the feeling to leave her, but was unable to stop a loud, heartfelt thought erupting from the turmoil of her mind.

_I miss you, Yankee._

She froze, clutching the grass in her fists, stretched out on the ground below the shrubbery that sat through the forest.

The Heart Planeteer was watching the area near her very carefully.

Linka breathed slowly, not daring to move. She kept her eyes locked on him. Or was it her? It was hard to tell. Especially in the dark.

Zarm and Blight had made it to a patch of trees that remained standing, and the moonlight barely penetrated. The best light came from the screen of Blight's laptop.

Linka peered back over her shoulder, but Gi hadn't followed. She thought she could make out her shadowy figure, huddled at the base of a large tree, still clutching her injured arm.

The Heart Planeteer had relaxed slightly, though his eyes kept returning to the bush Linka had hidden in. She peered through the leaves at him, wondering if his eyesight was better than hers. Wondering if he knew what she was doing there.

 _Please,_ she thought desperately, _do not give me away. I just want to get home. I will not stop whatever it is Zarm is doing here..._

If he heard her, he gave no indication. She kept her teeth pressed into her lower lip, anxiously looking on as Blight typed rapidly on her laptop.

"We don't have time for this," Zarm snapped eventually.

"I'm not sending you anywhere until I get my assurances," Blight answered smoothly. She smirked to herself, looking confident.

Linka narrowed her eyes slightly. With Blight looking so self-assured, she couldn't help but feel a little ill.

xXx

Wheeler jerked awake, disoriented and aching. He'd fallen asleep, slumped over in the chair he was bound to.

He coughed and blinked, wondering what had woken him so abruptly.

The buzzing in the pocket of his jeans alerted him. He twisted anxiously, shifting his hip back and straining his hand towards his pocket.

He let out an explosive sigh of triumph when he managed to fumble his cell phone free. He hit speaker.

"Ma-Ti," he whispered urgently, "I've hit a bit of trouble."

Ma-Ti paused. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I'm kinda – I'm..." Wheeler trailed off and his eyes flicked to the vial Plunder had left on the table in front of him. "No," he admitted. "I need help."

"Do you need us to bring the other jet and find you?" Ma-Ti asked. "We will be there as soon as we can."

"No," Wheeler blurted. "Find Linka first. And Gi."

"We have hit a little trouble as well," Ma-Ti admitted worriedly. "It appears we need MAL to help us activate the ray gun."

"MAL?" Wheeler asked.

"He has gone with Blight. We cannot continue until she returns." Ma-Ti's voice was heavy. "I am sorry, Wheeler. I thought we could do it."

"MAL's in the jet!" Wheeler blurted. "At least, part of him is. It's not the full him – it's like a back-up, or something. I don't know. But he's there."

"He is?" Ma-Ti asked excitedly. "It's okay, Wheeler. We will get you back here and we will figure out how to get MAL to activate the gun. We will get the girls home. I know this will work."

He sounded so excited Wheeler felt his own heart lift and swell with happiness. "We will?" he breathed in relief.

"Listen, we're going to come and get you, okay?" Ma-Ti said. "We will have to stop by Hope Island and get another jet refuel from Gaia, but we will come and help you."

Wheeler looked up in alarm as he heard the elevator arrive outside his door. He disconnected the call quickly and stuffed his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, within easy reach. He hoped Ma-Ti would have the sense not to call back right away.

Plunder didn't appear to suspect anything out of the ordinary. He stepped into the room with the casual air of a man about to discuss the weather.

"Feeling all right?" he asked, smirking at Wheeler. He let his eyes slide to the vial on the table before he carefully laid out a spoon and a syringe.

Wheeler swallowed, fear welling up inside him. "Not so good," he admitted. His voice was hoarse.

Plunder chuckled and sat opposite him, leaning over the back of a chair. "Ten years is a long time," he said.

"Yeah." Wheeler could feel sweat on his face. "Don't suppose you'd care to tell me why there's a photograph of your big ugly face on Blight's lab table, would you?"

Plunder gazed back at him steadily. "You're a little too cocky, considering the position you're in," he said icily.

"Guess I'm not feeling too bad then," Wheeler said softly.

Plunder drew a lighter out of his pocket and flicked it open, enjoying the way Wheeler swallowed nervously when the flame appeared.

"Tell me why you're back," Plunder murmured.

Wheeler shook his head desperately. "Look, I got nothin' against you, okay?" he said desperately. "I just need to find Blight. She took Linka and Gi. I need to get 'em back."

_Be careful. Be slow. Move your hands and get the knots undone._

The voice came out of nowhere. It was definitely his voice, but it held a calm confidence he certainly couldn't feel within himself at that moment. He twisted his fingers slightly, prodding at the knots around his wrists.

"What Blight does is her business," Plunder said in a hard voice. "I have nothing to do with her anymore."

Wheeler's trembling fingers slid a loop of rope free. Shaking with both concentration and fear, he fought to keep his composure as Plunder unscrewed the lid of the vial.

"So what happened?" he asked. "Between you and Blight?"

"Why should I tell you?" Plunder asked distractedly, preparing the heroin carefully. Wheeler watched him nervously, a thin sheen of sweat covering his pale face.

"You may as well tell me," the Fire Planeteer whispered nervously. "Not like I'm gonna be any good after you inject that shit into me."

"It won't be enough to kill you," Plunder answered, smirking.

"Doesn't matter," Wheeler answered. His breathing was ragged. Sweat soaked his shirt. "I'm weak. If anything's been confirmed over the past ten years, it's that I'm weak. One hit is probably all it'll take to destroy me."

Plunder chuckled, but said nothing.

Wheeler looked up at him again. "How long has it been since you saw her?" he asked, twisting his wrists in an effort to further loosen the rope.

"Seven years," Plunder answered. He adjusted his tie slightly, as though to distract himself from his own answer.

"How come?"

_Bleak's tied you up loads of times and he hasn't bested you yet, Wheeler. You can do this, man. Concentrate. Get out of this and get back to the others and before you know it, the girls will be home again._

Plunder regarded him carefully before he answered. "We had a falling out," he answered tightly. "It's difficult for two people with such big ideas to get along. Someone's ideas always have to be pushed aside."

"And you didn't want yours pushed aside," Wheeler muttered, smirking at him in an effort to hide his nerves. "Well, bad news, pal – you lost. You were running shitty timber mills while she was developing a teleport gun. Should've stuck with her."

Plunder chuckled again and nodded quietly. "Yes," he said after a moment. "I should have."

Wheeler grimaced. "Oh, man. You were in love with her, weren't you?"

Plunder gave him a thin smile. "Question time is over, Planeteer," he answered.

Wheeler looked nervously to the syringe lying on the table. "Don't you want to know where she is?" he blurted.

Plunder smirked. "I didn't think you knew that, either."

"I don't, really," he admitted. "She's teleported herself across space and time into another dimension."

Plunder blinked, and then laughed. "It's testament to her intelligence when I find myself actually believing you."

"It's true," Wheeler said desperately. "She's taken Linka with her."

"I'm not interested," Plunder answered, flicking the lighter again. The flame wavered for a moment before he snapped the lighter shut.

Wheeler jumped at the noise it made. "She must've told you what Zarm asked her to do," he croaked. "She's going to bring him back here, right?"

Plunder flicked the lighter again and held it beneath the spoon in his fingers.

"Please," Wheeler begged, "Please don't. I can't do that again. I can't kick it again. Please don't."

Plunder smirked. "I prefer my life with no Planeteers in it," he said.

"So we'll leave you alone," Wheeler panted. Sweat was pouring off him. Behind him, his hands were shaking and fumbling. The knots in the rope felt like iron.

Plunder chuckled and watched the heroin slowly dissolve.

"Linka's gone," Wheeler babbled, his fingers scrabbling and tearing at the bonds around his wrists. He didn't know if it was blood or sweat running down his hand. He didn't care.

"Linka's gone," he continued desperately, "If I don't get her back, that's it for me. I'm done."

"I'd always considered the relationship between you all to be rather unhealthy," Plunder drawled, waving the flame back and forth beneath the spoon.

Wheeler's heart was hammering in his chest. "We don't work without each other," he admitted. "None of us. Kwame did okay, but he needs us now. And I need all of them. I need Linka. And she needs me. And maybe that's not healthy but that's just the way it is."

When Plunder picked up the syringe, Wheeler thought he might faint. He could hear a roaring in his ears and his blood pounded and throbbed through his body, which trembled and shook uncontrollably.

He kicked his feet against the floor, forcing the chair to scrape backwards. "Don't," he begged. "Don't."

"You'll feel better in a few minutes," Plunder said, smirking at him. "This is expensive stuff. Good stuff. You'll like it, kid. Trust me."

Wheeler wrenched free, ripping skin from his wrists as he forced his hands through the last tight loop of rope.

He moved quickly, with a speed that required no thinking and no sight. He punched Plunder hard on the jaw. He fell heavily and the syringe went spinning across the polished floor. Wheeler hauled him up and slammed him against the wall with a strength he didn't know he had, one arm pressing dangerously hard against Plunder's throat.

Plunder choked and kicked his legs, his eyes wide.

"Listen," Wheeler fumed, keeping his voice soft and his face close to Plunder's, "My girl's missing and I gotta get her back. If you have _any_ idea of what sort of mess Blight has concocted, you'd better fucking tell me before I snap your neck."

Sweat still ran down his body, but the fear had been replaced by adrenaline and anger.

Plunder choked again and his voice was a desperate wheeze. "You wouldn't dare."

"Every junkie has his limits, remember?" Wheeler asked through gritted teeth.

Plunder's eyes were watering and his face was turning a colourful shade of purple. "Okay," he gasped. "Let go. I'll tell you what I know."

xXx

Linka could see MAL on the screen of Blight's laptop. She inched closer, her heart beating painfully in her chest.

"Check the coordinates, MAL baby," Blight crooned, hitching the teleport gun to MAL's laptop with a black cord.

MAL sighed. "You've got double-coordinates set to this," he warned. "Remote transport."

"I know," she answered sweetly. "Don't worry, it's taken care of. Just fix it."

Linka narrowed her eyes. Blight obviously hadn't meant to bring Gi with her. She glanced back over her shoulder before she squirmed forward again. The long grass and the shrubbery hid her well, though she was certain the Heart Planeteer knew she was there. So far, however, he hadn't given her away.

"I'm growing very impatient, Blight," Zarm warned.

"Keep your hat on," Blight snapped. "All you need to do is stand there. MAL-ikins?"

A blue jet of light shot out of one of the ports on the computer, hitting Zarm in the chest. He jumped and looked down at it in alarm, but it disappeared quickly.

"What the hell was that?" he snarled.

"Consider yourself warned," Blight answered harshly. "I've got your genetic map on file and I can destroy you from the inside out if you –"

"I do not _have_ a genetic map," Zarm answered icily.

"Neither does MAL, and I still destroyed him with this baby," Blight answered smugly.

"It hurts," MAL answered, looking up at Zarm. "She still hasn't rebuilt my eyebrows properly."

"Hush, sweetie," Blight said, slamming the lid of the laptop closed. She stood and looked coolly at Zarm. "You double-cross me and it'll be the last thing you do," she whispered. "I swear."

Zarm gritted his teeth. "We have a deal, Blight," he answered. "I won't renege."

"You certainly won't," Blight conceded, patting the laptop.

Linka focused her eyes on the gun in the holster on Blight's hip. It was achingly close. If she leapt up, she could have it in her hands in less than two seconds.

 _That_ was the way home. MAL had mentioned coordinates, and that was all it took for a rapid series of thoughts and calculations to run through Linka's mind. She'd figured it out. She still had no idea what Zarm had to do with any of it, but she knew that in order to get home, she needed to get her hands on that gun.

She clenched her hands into the grass.

_Here I come, Yankee._

xXx


	13. Home

 

"Stop."

The voice was one word and it throbbed and thumped through the air like the beat of a heart. Linka felt it in her chest and she sank back into the grass, somewhat stunned and weakened by it.

A firm hand gripped the back of her neck and hauled her up. She gave a moan of desperation as she was torn free of the bushes, her toes brushing the grass as she clutched at the one firm hand holding her aloft.

"You!" Blight gasped. It was obvious the voice had affected her too. She clutched her chest with one hand and glared at Linka. "I thought I'd lost you."

Linka gave her a grim smile, gripping the hand around her neck with white fingers as she tried to ease the pressure. "I suppose you thought wrong," she managed.

The Heart Planeteer shook her slightly. "Stop," he warned. Again, the word reverberated through the air, striking Linka in the chest and causing her to quiver and shake. It wasn't entirely unpleasant – just powerful. She drew in a shaky breath.

"You are hurting me," she whimpered. "Let go."

"No." He shook her again and she clutched at him as she swung above the grass. She couldn't force away the sudden memories of Viktor. She felt a sick turmoil in her stomach as she remembered the countless times she had pleaded with him not to hurt her.

"Please," she wailed desperately.

"No." He shook her again and the voice shivered through her.

She wondered where Gi was. She wondered if it'd be best for her to emerge or to stay hidden.

Gi appeared to be wondering that too – for the moment, at least, she stayed hidden. Linka found herself being somewhat relieved. Escape would be more possible later if Gi kept out of trouble.

"Where's your friend?" Blight sneered.

"What friend?" Linka gasped, trying to prise the fingers away from her fault. "Let _go_ of me!" she shouted, glaring back at the Heart Planeteer holding her up.

He smiled pleasantly but kept his grip on her.

"I saw you both on the beach," Blight snapped. "I know you were together."

Linka gurgled and kicked out at the Planeteer holding her up. He was freakishly strong and his manner was doing nothing to suggest any sort of connection he may have had with Ma-Ti.

"Let her down," Zarm said eventually. "She's outnumbered."

Linka was dropped into the grass. She looked up at the towering Planeteers, terrified. For a moment she was irrationally grateful that Blight and Zarm were there. _They_ , at least, were familiar.

"Why are Gaia's Planeteers here, Blight?" Zarm asked icily.

"She was just a test subject," Blight responded. "Nothing big. There's another one wandering around here somewhere. The others are all still back on Earth."

Zarm snickered. "This is going to be even easier than I'd imagined," he said. "Shall we go?"

Linka wasn't sure why, but she had the sudden deep, urgent impulse to stall whatever it was Blight was about to do.

"You asked about my friend," Linka blurted, looking at Blight.

"She dead?" Blight asked, sounding disinterested.

" _Nyet,_ " Linka panted. "She is on the shore of the lake, talking to your squid creature." She looked up at Zarm, not daring to move.

Zarm laughed loudly. "Nice try, sweetheart."

"I mean it!" Linka snapped. "She is using her ring to communicate through the water of the lake with the creature on the bottom."

Gi watched on anxiously. She wasn't entirely sure what Linka was doing, or what _she_ should be doing as everyone was distracted. She crept closer.

"Lies," the Water Planeteer whispered.

Linka turned in alarm at the sound of her voice. Like bubbles rising up from a deep pool, like a river tumbling over rock. Did she sound like the whisper of a breeze, to them? Did she personify Wind like these Planeteers seemed to live and breathe their own powers?

"They are not lies," she answered stiffly, committing herself to the act. " _You_ have just never tried it. You are obviously weaker."

She remembered, with astonishing clarity, the need to prove herself after Zarm had handed her the gauntlet. The fierce competition that had existed between the Planeteers who had fallen under his spell.

Sure enough, the Water Planeteer spun on her heel furiously, storming off into the forest, towards the lake.

"Where are you going?" Zarm snarled.

The other Planeteers followed silently.

Zarm bent over Linka, looking furious. "Be careful," he warned quietly. "I'll throw you right into the mouth of that thing if you ruin this for me, girl."

Linka glared back at him. "You have ruined enough for me," she answered. "It is _you_ who should be careful."

xXx

Wheeler had eased off on Plunder's throat enough only to allow him to talk.

"Tell me," he hissed.

Plunder swallowed carefully. "I don't know everything," he croaked. "I only know Zarm hired Blight to build that machine."

"He wants to be transported back – I know that bit," Wheeler said impatiently. "What are they going to do when they get here?"

Plunder grimaced and shifted slightly, trying to push Wheeler's arm away. Desperation and anger gave the Planeteer strength Plunder simply couldn't match.

"Zarm wasn't clear on the details," he choked. "Blight didn't know all the details herself. Just that Zarm had been banished and he was trying to get back here to get even with Gaia."

Wheeler's eyes widened slightly. "He's after Gaia?"

Plunder choked again and Wheeler eased off slightly. Plunder sucked in a breath and glared at him.

"Where are they, exactly?" Wheeler asked.

"I thought you already knew that," Plunder answered. "Some other dimension. I don't know. Blight doesn't really care about the end result, you know. It's the process she's interested in."

"That's seriously all you can tell me?" Wheeler asked angrily.

"I told you, we don't speak," Plunder coughed. "Things change. It's been ten years. Things between the Planeteers obviously changed. Why can't things between Blight and I change as well?"

Wheeler just shook his head. "I wasted three fucking days in an effort to get answers from you," he said. "I haven't slept. I haven't eaten. And it's all been a waste anyway."

Plunder smirked, though he still looked intensely uncomfortable. "Just out of curiosity, which girl is it you're so keen to get back?" he asked. "The Russian, right?"

Wheeler glared at him and leaned against his throat again. " _Da. Moya ruuskii._ "

xXx

"I haven't heard from him since we were disconnected an hour ago," Ma-Ti said worriedly, pulling his jacket tighter around him. "We should go."

"We will not make it all the way to Plunder's base in that," Kwame said, nodding towards Blight's second jet.

"We just need to get it to Hope Island," Captain Planet said. "Gaia can help with the rest."

Ma-Ti jumped as his cell rang. "Wheeler," he breathed in relief, holding it to his ear. "Are you all right?"

"I'm comin' back," Wheeler answered. His voice was oddly numb.

Ma-Ti hesitated. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothin', Ma-Ti. I wasted a trip. Plunder doesn't know anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. He and Blight haven't spoken in years. He doesn't know what she's up to. He did say he thinks Zarm is coming here to see Gaia, though."

Ma-Ti felt a flutter of nerves in his stomach. "Maybe we should tell Gaia to seek further help from those elders she mentioned earlier – the ones that banished Zarm in the first place."

"Probably a good idea," Wheeler answered tiredly.

"Have you had much rest, Wheeler?" Ma-Ti asked anxiously.

"Not really," he muttered. "I'll grab a few hours now. I'm in the jet on my way back. How's the teleport gun coming along?"

"If we can get MAL to activate it, I'm sure it will work," Ma-Ti answered confidently. "The plans were rather straight-forward and Captain Planet put a lot of it together quickly while Kwame and I caught up on sleep."

"Good," Wheeler answered. "Listen, I'll see you later man. I've gotta sleep. I'm... I'm tired."

Ma-Ti felt a deep throb at the back of his head. "Are you sure you are all right?" he asked softly.

"Tired," Wheeler whispered. "See you later."

He hung up and Ma-Ti turned to the others worriedly. "Wheeler is on his way back," he said.

"Is he all right?" Kwame asked in concern.

Ma-Ti shook his head and looked at them both worriedly. "I don't think so."

xXx

Wheeler had staggered his way to the bathroom on Blight's jet and collapsed under the spray of the shower.

The bathroom was bigger than the flight deck – all polished pink and white surfaces that gave him a headache. He was too exhausted to care about MAL's face frowning down at him from a monitor by the door.

He scrubbed at his skin. He could feel sweat and nausea clinging to him. Reminding him that he'd come within precious seconds of being injected.

 _You got out,_ he reminded himself. _Nothing happened. You got out. You're clean._

He leaned back against the tiles and blinked up at MAL tiredly, his lashes clogged with water and tears. "Enjoying the show?" he asked, his voice a rough croak.

MAL narrowed his eyes and disappeared.

Wheeler took his time, running soap over his skin, wincing as the suds ran into the deep welts around his wrists. He shaved his jaw carefully after tearing apart a packet of pink disposable razors. He stared at himself in the mirror to make sure he really was okay and the needle hadn't punctured him, letting his fingers quiver across the scars on his arm.

He looked okay. Thin and pale, and exhausted. But not like he had this time nine years ago. Not like an addict.

He rinsed his t-shirt in the sink and stretched out on the floor in his jeans, ignoring MAL's increasingly-disapproving glares from the monitor on the wall.

He closed his eyes, listening to the jet hum beneath him, vaguely hoping the auto-pilot would handle anything that might come up. He breathed a sigh and let his exhaustion steal him away into sleep.

xXx

"This is ridiculous," Blight snapped. "Zarm, get them back here!"

"I'm trying to!" he snapped back at her. "They're so hung up on trying to outdo one another they're not listening to me."

Linka bit her lip as the others bickered. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw Gi hiding nearby. She opened her mouth and formed quick, silent words.

 _The gun._ She nodded slightly towards Blight's hip and Gi nodded in agreement.

Linka turned back to Blight and Zarm.

"If you can't get them to follow a simple order now, what hope do you have of getting them to follow your orders back on Earth?" Blight asked in exasperation. "Get them back here now and let's go. I'm actually starting to crave the sight of that ice-locked wasteland I've been living on."

The Planeteers were gathered at the edge of the lake. The Water Planeteer was sending blue flashes of light down through the water, but the creature would not stir; apparently too wary after what had happened last time.

Linka saw the Heart Planeteer look up at her.

"Lies," he hissed.

She felt the word throb through her again, sending her weak at the knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blight stumble a little, sinking towards the ground.

She saw her chance.

Linka lunged at her, knocking her all the way down and scrabbling at the gun on her hip.

"Get her off me!" Blight shrieked.

Linka staggered away and fell, clutching the gun in her hands. Zarm turned towards her furiously, and she fired wildly. The orange beam of light went straight through his transparent chest and hit the tree behind him. It vanished with a loud crack and Linka gave a cry of triumph.

"Give it back!" Blight screamed, scrambling towards Linka on her hands and knees. Gi flew at her from the side, taking her completely by surprise and knocking her over again.

Linka glanced at Zarm, knowing she had only precious seconds before he did something to stop her.

She took careful aim and fired.

xXx

Wheeler shoved his hands into his pockets, shivering. He hadn't changed back into his thermal gear and Blight's lab wasn't exactly warm.

Kwame looked relieved to see him. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. He touched Wheeler's shoulder gently.

Wheeler nodded and gave him a small smile. He nodded towards the tangled wires and blinking lights Ma-Ti and Captain Planet were bent over. "Looks impressive," he said.

Kwame gave a tired laugh. "Courtesy of Ma-Ti. He says we need MAL to make it work."

"MAL's in the jet," Wheeler confirmed. "Part of him, anyway. He looks sort of weak. He's not a full program."

"What else is new," Captain Planet muttered. He clapped Wheeler on the shoulder and he staggered. "Good to see you back," he said with a grin. "How's Plunder?"

"Pretty much the same," Wheeler answered, scratching his jaw. "Going grey, but otherwise the same."

"He did not hurt you, did he?" Kwame asked in concern, glimpsing the welts on Wheeler's wrists for the first time.

"I'm okay," Wheeler answered. "Let's just get MAL in here and get this gun to work. I want Linka back."

The others nodded.

"I will go and –"

Ma-Ti stopped in alarm as there was a bright orange pulse of light. They all turned in surprise to the platform behind them.

An enormous tree had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Does anyone else see that, or am I starting to lose it?" Captain Planet asked.

"I see it." Kwame reached out with trembling fingertips and touched the rough bark of the tree. "What happened, do you think?"

"Why has Blight teleported a tree back here?" Ma-Ti asked nervously.

"Do you think something has happened?" Wheeler asked weakly. He felt extraordinarily faint and found himself clutching Captain Planet's shoulder in an effort to stay upright.

They all jumped as there was another bright orange pulse of light, and a soft thud at Kwame's feet.

Gi rolled over, gasping and groaning. That horrible, sick, hot feeling was back. Her bones felt splintered and burnt.

"Gi!"

She looked up in confusion and saw Kwame bending over her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, lifting her.

She mumbled and burrowed her face into his shoulder, clutching her injured arm, which hurt more than ever.

"Gi!"

Wheeler, this time. He was peering at her in concern. He looked terrible.

"Where's Linka?" he asked desperately.

"Fighting Blight," Gi said weakly. "She stole the gun. She – she sent me home..." She looked back over her shoulder. The tree Linka had hit with the first beam stood tall and silent on the platform.

The four Planeteers and Captain Planet waited anxiously for a third pulse of orange light.

They waited for Linka.

xXx

"I want to go home!" Linka gasped, struggling with the gun. Blight was on top of her, her hands wrestling with the weapon.

"Give it to me!" she screamed furiously. She looked insane. Linka knew that if she managed to use the teleport gun on herself, it would go as well, and Blight would be trapped with Zarm and the other Planeteers forever.

She tugged furiously. "Blight, I am going _home_!" she cried, twisting and turning beneath Blight's weight.

Zarm was somewhere nearby, ordering the Planeteers around. Linka heard a loud roar and saw the treetops above her tear away as an enormous gust of wind tore through the forest.

The Wind Planeteer was coming.

"You will not stop me!" Linka cried desperately, tugging at the gun she and Blight were each clutching desperately. "Wheeler is waiting for me."

She squeezed the trigger and the orange beam of light hit her in the stomach.

She felt herself fall away.

xXx

Wheeler fell to his knees when Linka appeared in a bright burst of orange light. He heard Captain Planet give a loud sigh of relief, and Kwame and Ma-Ti both visibly relaxed as the pain finally left them.

Wheeler grabbed Linka and pulled her to him, too choked and tired to speak for a long moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked finally, his breath a soft hush against her shoulder.

"We have to move," she slurred, limp and heavy against him. "Blight and the Planeteers are coming..."

"No, Linka, you're home," Wheeler soothed, burying his face against her neck. "It's okay."

" _Nyet_ , we have to move," she whimpered. She looked up at Captain Planet desperately. "Blight still has the gun. And there are other Planeteers. Bad ones. She is bringing them."

She saw a flash pass through his eyes as he calculated what she was saying, and then he nodded, looking as confident and calm as ever.

She clutched Wheeler tightly and gave him a shaky smile. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hey, babe." He grinned back at her tiredly and stroked her hair out of her eyes. "You had me worried this time."

She smiled and sank against him, her arms tight around his neck. "Just for a few hours."

He frowned and pulled back a little. "Linka, you were gone for four days."

She blinked up at him and shook her head. "Just a few hours," she said.

"We'll talk about that later," Captain Planet said. "Hang onto her, Wheeler. And Kwame, don't let go of Gi."

Ma-Ti grabbed Captain Planet around the neck without being told, clinging to his back.

"Where's the geo-cruiser?" Captain Planet asked Kwame.

He frowned. "Smashed at the base of the mountains east of here."

There was another orange flash. The other Earth Planeteer. He fell to his knees, looking ill, but nobody had time to comprehend what had happened before Captain Planet swept his Planeteers up into his arms and flew them swiftly away.

xXx

There were leaves and grass tangled in her hair, and blood and dirt on her face, but she was beautiful.

Wheeler clung to Linka, wrapping blankets around her as they all sat huddled in a corner of the shattered geo-cruiser.

Captain Planet had dropped them all safely through the broken windows before lifting the entire structure and flying it away.

The Planeteers all assumed they were headed back to Hope Island to talk to Gaia about what was happening.

Kwame carefully bandaged Gi's bruised arm as she and Linka explained what had happened to them. The girls sat huddled together as they spoke, Wheeler's arm tight around Linka's waist and Ma-Ti gripping Gi's hand as Kwame took care of cleaning their cuts and scrapes with stinging antiseptic.

"The other Planeteers are frightening," Linka shivered. "They are..." She shrugged and looked at Gi.

"When they speak it's like their powers come out of them," Gi said, looking pale. "When I heard that Water Planeteer talk, I felt sick. I couldn't think properly."

Linka nodded and took Gi's other hand as she spoke. "Zarm is going to use them to overthrow Gaia before he takes over Earth," she said. "He is going to allow Blight a lot of control."

"Stupid bitch," Wheeler muttered. "She could easily have control already, without his help."

"I think she wanted to prove she could do it," Gi answered tiredly. "Teleporting and other dimensions... It's crazy. But she did it. That's all she really cares about. Not the reward."

Wheeler nodded. "Plunder said that, too."

Linka looked up at him in alarm. "You saw Plunder?"

"We thought he was in on it," Wheeler sighed. "Turns out he and Blight had something a long time ago, then split. He doesn't know anything."

"We need to talk to Gaia," Ma-Ti said tiredly. "We are going to need the elders that banished Zarm to help us."

"These Planeteers are a lot strong than us," Gi said in a small voice.

Kwame patted her shoulder gently. "We will figure it out," he said kindly. "We should all get some sleep, while we can. This is not over, yet."

They all huddled down together beneath the pile of blankets. Linka rested her cheek against Wheeler's arm and closed her eyes.

He took a moment to run his gaze over her, making sure she really was there beside him and it wasn't some sort of cruel, beautiful dream. He brushed his lips over her temple and pressed his cheek against the top of her head, giving a gentle sigh before he finally allowed himself to relax and fall asleep.

xXx


	14. Repaired

 

Ma-Ti stirred and blinked himself awake. He'd fallen asleep with his head on Gi's shoulder. He sat up sleepily and smiled as he saw the way his friends had all slumped and fallen together.

Wheeler was at the end, both arms wrapped tightly around Linka and his cheek resting on top of her head. He still looked pale, but his face was relaxed and peaceful as he slept soundly.

Linka had burrowed into him, balled up beneath the pile of blankets arranged around her. One of her hands, however, lay exposed on top, held securely in Kwame's warm palm.

The Earth Planeteer had fallen asleep sitting upright, his chin drooping down on his chest. Ma-Ti winced when he realised how stiff he'd be when he awoke, but he left him to sleep – one hand holding Linka's, his other arm wrapped carefully around Gi, who was stretched out beside him, her head against his chest. She'd hooked one leg carefully over Ma-Ti's knees, keeping him close to her.

 _Awake, Ma-Ti?_

He rubbed his eyes and spoke back to Captain Planet silently. _Yes. Where are we?_

 _We're nearing Hope Island. Do you want to wake the others?_

Ma-Ti reached over Gi and patted Kwame's shoulder gently.

He muttered something incoherent and lifted his head, his eyes fluttering. He groaned when he felt the stiffness in his neck.

"We are nearly home," Ma-Ti whispered to him. "How do you feel?"

Kwame just sighed in response and gave him a weary smile.

Ma-Ti grinned back at him and gently shook Gi awake. She frowned and burrowed further into Kwame's side, but he pulled her up and she was soon sitting beside him, her hair tousled and her eyes sleepy.

"Are we home?" she asked huskily.

"Just about," Kwame answered. He looked over to Wheeler.

Their murmurs had already disturbed him. He was blinking slowly, and after a moment he lifted a careful hand and stroked his thumb down Linka's cheek. She looked up at him immediately and smiled.

Kwame watched as she whispered something to the Fire Planeteer in Russian, and felt a surprising surge of pride when Wheeler chuckled and responded in kind.

He smiled and turned away, though he kept hold of Linka's hand, glad to have proof of her presence again.

"Do you think Blight's got all those other Planeteers back yet?" Gi asked weakly, tilting her head up to look at Kwame.

He swallowed uncomfortably. "I suppose so."

They all sat up as the wrecked geo-cruiser started to descend. Through the shattered windows they could see the peaks of The Crystal Chamber.

Captain Planet deposited the ruined vehicle carefully in its usual place, and the Planeteers scrambled out, stiff and aching.

He grinned at them. "Smooth flight?"

"No need to brag about it," Wheeler muttered.

Captain Planet turned his grin to Wheeler and then spun as Gaia called out to them.

"Planeteers, are you all right?" She was frowning in concern and Ma-Ti took a step towards her.

"Gaia, Zarm is coming with Planeteers from the dimension he was banished to," he said worriedly. "He's coming here to destroy you."

"I know, Ma-Ti." She touched his face gently and ran her eyes over the others. "They will be some time yet."

"What are we going to do?" Gi asked desperately, hugging herself tightly in an effort to ward away her fear. "These Planeteers are scary, Gaia. They're giant and powerful..."

Gaia finished assessing them with her eyes and gave Gi a soothing smile. "First things first," she said. "You are all exhausted."

"We slept on the flight back," Kwame said.

"Not enough," Gaia said sternly. "You're going to need your strength, Planeteers."

"They're okay, Gaia," Captain Planet said cheerfully. "They're amazing."

"I know they're amazing," she sighed, turning to him. "You need to go and recharge."

"Nah," Cap answered breezily, "I'm fit as a fiddle."

"Now," Gaia said, sounding unnaturally short with him.

The Planeteers blinked as Captain Planet took an astounded step back. They suddenly felt as though they were witnessing their parents arguing for the first time.

Cap shook his head, looking annoyed. "They're coming back here," he said. "They're going to head straight for here."

"You know as well as I do that they're going to take a while," Gaia said with a slightly impatient sigh. "Go and recharge and the Planeteers will call you again when we need you." She raised her eyebrow at him and Wheeler grinned.

"Better do it, Cap. Gaia gets pretty thunderous when she's mad."

Captain Planet sighed and gave the Planeteers another quick grin. "I'm proud of you guys," he said. "I know a lot has happened to you since I saw you last, but time doesn't really mean that much to me. It's like I woke up and watched you take on a problem that would have been too big for you yesterday. Watching what you did over the past few days..." He trailed off and shook his head, looking pleased and slightly self-conscious. "I'm proud of you," he said. "The power is yours."

He disappeared quickly, as though feeling embarrassed about his closing speech. The Planeteers watched him go, feeling a mix of surprise and anxiety. He had been a constant strength and hope the past few days, and not having him there beside them suddenly felt unnatural.

"Gaia, Zarm is coming after you," Linka said after a moment, drawing attention back to the problems at hand. "He has other Planeteers. He has given them the gauntlets he tried to give to us the first time we met him."

"We have time, Linka," Gaia answered, giving her a reassuring smile.

Gi shook her head desperately. "The other Earth Planeteer arrived just before Captain Planet flew us out of there," she said. "They're coming, Gaia. Blight's sending them all back with her ray gun, and Zarm is coming too."

"They will be here any moment," Linka said worriedly, her eyes darting to the ocean over Gaia's shoulder.

"How long were you gone, Linka?" Gaia asked gently.

Linka frowned. "Four or five hours? I am not sure."

Gaia turned to Wheeler. "How long was she gone, Wheeler?"

"Four days," Wheeler answered firmly.

Gaia nodded and smiled. "What takes Zarm's Planeteers an hour is going to take them a day, here. It's going to take them time to get used to that. They're going to need extra effort and strength. Zarm, too. It will take him time to reassess his energy needs." She looked at them all carefully and smiled. "I'm not saying we have all the time in the world," she said. "I'm not saying they won't hurry. But you have time to get a proper night's rest."

She waved them towards their huts. "Believe me – I'll call if I need you."

xXx

Wheeler kicked the door to Linka's hut closed behind him, his arm still slung over her shoulders. She was tense and fretful.

"They will not wait," she whispered. "They will come..."

"Gaia will call us," he answered, pulling her to him.

She sighed and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "I missed you, Yankee," she mumbled after a moment, her voice half-lost against his shoulder.

He nodded, his face buried in her neck. "Missed you, too. Thought I'd lost you again..." He gave half a sob and held his breath, forcing it all back again.

She stroked her fingers over the nape of his neck. "Was I really gone for four days?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "I had time to waste on Plunder," he answered.

She felt him quiver slightly and she hugged him tighter.

"Where were you, babe?" he asked after a moment. "What was it like?"

"Scary," she whispered, closing her eyes and swaying slightly with him. "The moon was like a hundred moons and the grass was silver and the water purple... There was a monster with teeth and tentacles and a sky that shifted like smoke."

He frowned and shook his head, unable to imagine anything like she was describing. "I'm glad you're home," he said.

"Me too."

He gave a slight grin into her shoulder. "I think Ma-Ti is kinda disappointed we didn't get to use his ray gun."

Linka chuckled and nodded slightly, moving her head so it was tucked beneath Wheeler's chin. "I am glad he did not get time," she admitted after a moment. "I am glad I did it myself."

He ran his fingers through her tangled hair and she looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

"I wish Viktor could have seen," she whispered. "I wish he knew how strong I was."

Wheeler frowned slightly. "You still think of him?"

"It has not been so long," she answered softly. "It just feels like it has... He is still in my head..."

"Well get him out of there," Wheeler muttered, kissing her temple.

She shook her head and looked up at him. He felt her thumb glance over his inner elbow and his heart skipped a beat.

"Still there," she whispered, "In your head."

He nodded, his mouth dry.

"You overcame it, but it still haunts you," she whispered. "For the first time I feel like I have overcome some of the obstacles Viktor put up – but that does not mean I feel free of him, yet."

"I know," he admitted, resting his forehead against hers. "Maybe he's still in there, babe, but you got home, despite him."

She smiled up at him, feeling ridiculously pleased with herself. Maybe it hadn't taken much careful planning or finesse, but she _had_ found her own way home.

"Plunder says our relationship is unhealthy," Wheeler whispered.

Linka closed her eyes. "Maybe it is," she admitted. "But it is healthier than my relationship with Viktor."

He chuckled and squeezed her. "We should get some sleep."

She leaned away from him, taking a step back and holding his hands. "I need a shower."

He tilted his head and smiled at her. "Do you think so?"

She smiled and nodded, tugging at his hands. He followed her, one hand letting go of her fingers to move to her waist as she walked backwards to the bathroom.

"I wanted to follow you," he said softly, curling his fingers into the material of her shirt. "I wanted them to shoot me with the teleport beam so I could find you."

"Find me and save me," she sighed, closing her eyes as he drew her shirt up over her head. She let her arms fall back around his neck. "Like Russia."

"Which time?" he asked with a wry smile.

She smiled back at him. "Like the first time," she whispered, pressing kisses against his neck. "The time I did not know you were there... The time I really realised you loved me."

"I didn't really know it was love," he muttered, moving his mouth over her shoulder, nibbling his teeth against the strap of her bra. "I just couldn't face the idea of you not being a Planeteer anymore."

"Well, you did all those things behind a mask," she said, sliding her hands beneath his shirt. "You did not do them to be a hero or to be praised. You did it all anonymously. You did it for me."

He smiled at her. "Course I did." He touched his nose to hers gently. "You kissed me," he murmured.

She nodded, her lashes dark against her pale skin as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"You kissed me on our last day here, too," he whispered. "It broke my heart that all the kisses you ever gave me were ones you said goodbye with."

She wrapped her arms tightly around him and pressed her mouth to his, pulling him down to her and kissing him deeply.

"I will never kiss you goodbye again," she breathed.

He backed her against the bathroom counter and pressed his hips against hers, feeling her legs spread to bring him closer. He lifted her and she sat on the edge of the counter, her knees clamped to his hips as she drew his shirt up over his head.

"So you knew I loved you and you never said anything?" Wheeler asked with a grin, tracing his fingers over her back.

"I was afraid," she admitted. "And rightly so, _da_?"

"I guess so, in the end," he said, looking down at her. "Though if I'd known for sure that I had a chance with you, I'd never have slept with Gi."

She lowered her eyes and nodded.

"Not your fault," he insisted softly.

She nodded again and he lifted her chin gently and kissed her.

She smiled at him. "I still need to shower," she whispered pointedly.

He chuckled and reached through the shower curtain to turn the water on.

They stood under the spray together and he ran soaped hands over her skin, searching for the places that made her squirm and smile against his neck; places he planned to trace time and time again over long nights and lazy afternoons in their future.

She let the water smooth her hair away from her face as she looked up at him, her arms around his neck and her body pressed close and wet against his. She closed her eyes when he ran his hands over her again, tracing the arch of her spine and the curve of her hips. His palms were slippery with suds and he moved them over her breasts and under her arms, tickling her and grinning down at her when she twitched and shivered against him.

They were silent, and comfortable and excited as they shut the water off and wrapped themselves in thick towels.

She wiped fog off the mirror and ran a comb through her hair carefully, wincing at the snarls and tangles that caught in its teeth. They brushed their teeth side-by-side and he watched her smooth moisturiser into her skin as he (under her watchful eye) carefully rubbed salve onto the welts on his wrists.

"Did Plunder do that?" she asked softly, taking his hands and running her thumbs over his skin.

"Technically I did it," he said, looking down at the marks. "Don't think they'd be there if I hadn't struggled so much."

She frowned and rested her forehead against his chest. "I'm tired," she whispered to him in Russian. "Come with me to bed, Wheeler."

He pulled the sheets back and they slipped between them, naked skin against cool cotton. She stretched out on her side, facing him.

"I have only ever been with Viktor," she said softly.

He reached over and brushed his fingers over her waist. "I know," he said. He wanted to tell her he didn't expect anything – especially then, at that moment – but he had a feeling that wasn't why she had spoken.

"It was nice, being close with him," she admitted, "but I still did not like it much. It was just better to have him hold me like that than push me away. But I was always confused, afterwards. Because he was so affectionate. And because it seemed like he loved me so much."

Wheeler propped himself up on his elbow and ran his fingers slowly across the bare skin of Linka's stomach.

She smiled up at him. "You love me no matter what," she said softly.

"Course I do," he answered, brushing his lips over hers.

"Touch me," she whispered.

For a moment, a niggling seed of doubt planted itself at the back of Wheeler's mind, and he wondered if Linka's reasons for such close affection were right. He wondered if she was truly ready and if she was truly prepared – and truly _repaired_ from everything that had already happened.

He ran his hand carefully down her thigh and she moved her body beneath him, winding herself around him slowly, her arms around his neck and her legs parting to draw his body close to hers.

"Please do not be afraid," she breathed, her mouth against his neck. "I want you."

He smiled at the way she had read his hesitance, and closed his eyes, relaxing into her touch, moving his hand up along her smooth skin to her hip, steadying her before he let his fingers trace further and press inside her body.

She let out a soft breath against his ear and he felt her lashes flutter against his cheek.

All the times he had pictured this moment – pictured being with her – it had certainly never taken place on a day like the one they'd had. In his dreams they had never been exhausted or worn, or thin and pale. Their minds had not been stretched to breaking with stress and the possibility of the world ending the very next day.

In his dreams everything had been different, but there with her then, between the cool cotton sheets with her body warming and twisting beneath his, he wouldn't have changed a thing.

The worries they had both held just hours earlier had all torn apart and all he could focus on was the way her breathing shifted and the way she was biting her lip and trying to hide her face against his neck so he couldn't see the gentle flush of pleasure on her face.

He curled his fingers inside her and used his other hand to cup her breast, trace her waist or shift her body closer to him. Her breath was growing louder and her fingers were in his hair and raking down his back as she rolled her hips against his hand.

He could hear his own heart thundering in his chest and he could feel his muscles all coiled and tight like wire as he shifted against her, finding nerves and places that made her whimper quietly. He grinned with satisfaction as she gave a sudden jerk and her breath exploded against his shoulder, her hips moving in quick rhythm.

" _Bolshe,"_ she whispered. _More._

He wrapped his arms around her, moving his tongue into her mouth as he eased inside her. For a moment she wrapped herself so tightly around him he couldn't move himself against her – all arms and legs tightly trapping him, her fingers curling and clenching in his hair, holding him to her until she let her feet touch against the mattress again. She pushed up against him and he broke the kiss to breathe and bring clarity and focus back to his mind.

She didn't stop for him, pulling his hips back to her quickly, her breathing quick and shallow. He pushed his body back to her desperately, aching to cover every inch of her as they squirmed and rocked together.

When she came, she cut her cry short, pressing her teeth against his shoulder, her body shuddering and bucking beneath him violently.

He let a moan fall soft and full against her ear before he slowly sank his full weight onto her tiredly, one hand alongside her cheek. He ran his thumb slowly over the blue shadows of tiredness beneath her eyes, watching her gain her breath back as his heart thundered and gradually slowed.

She looked up at him with a gentle smile.

"Am I heavy?" he whispered, wondering if he should roll off her.

"Yes," she answered dreamily, hugging him to her again.

xXx

Wheeler stirred, sighing a slow breath out through his nose, the scent of Linka's skin warm and close against him.

He frowned as he heard someone knocking softly, and then the memory of the Planeteers' current challenges flew back into his mind. He sat up, leaning on his elbow, and looked down at Linka, curled up on her side beside him.

The door opened, spilling morning light into the room, and Gi tentatively poked her head inside.

"Hi," she whispered.

He grinned sleepily. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah. Actually, I wanted to talk to Linka, but if she's still asleep, I can come back."

"Is Gaia wanting us in The Crystal Chamber?"

"Not yet – but the others are awake, if that makes any difference to your plans." She smiled at him. "I'll come back in ten minutes."

He gazed across the room at her. "I'm glad you're okay, Gi," he said softly. "It scared the hell out of me when you disappeared. And I was such a jerk to you..."

She shook her head. "I'm used to it."

He threw a pillow at her and she laughed and closed the door hurriedly.

Linka sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. "What are you doing?" she asked sleepily.

"Waging a war," Wheeler muttered, flopping back onto the mattress and wrapping his arms around her. "Gi wants to talk to you."

Linka rested her head on his chest with a sigh. "Why?"

He kissed the top of her head. "You'll have to ask her, babe."

Linka frowned and ran her fingers over his collarbone. "Maybe we should get up," she said. "Zarm has probably had enough waiting around..."

"I'll go and find Gaia," he agreed quietly, kissing the top of her head again. "You talk to Gi."

"Wheeler..." Her protest trailed off as he threw a clean t-shirt at her.

"Please," he requested softly. "If somethin' horrible happens today..."

"Nothing horrible will happen," she said immediately. "We have come through so much... We will survive this."

He gazed back at her and leaned over, kissing her gently. "I love you, Linka."

She ran a hand through his hair. "I love you too."

xXx

Linka was sitting on the side of the bed pulling socks on when Gi knocked again.

"Hey."

"Hello." Linka gave her a small smile and motioned for her to come in. "How is your arm?"

"Oh, fine," Gi said, shrugging. "I think I just sprained it a little. It's okay now."

Linka nodded and Gi sat on the end of the bed. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course," Linka answered, turning her attention back to her socks.

"Linka..."

She bit back a sigh and looked up at Gi again.

The Water Planeteer looked a little lost, unsure of how to begin.

"Do you know how I got this scar?" she asked after a moment. She pointed to her upper arm, a clean, pale, crescent-shaped scar visible on her skin.

Linka shook her head in surprise.

Gi stared down at the blankets as she spoke. "A couple of months after Jin and I got married, I was walking home from work. I'd stayed late because Jin and I had argued that morning about me taking time off so I could get pregnant."

She rolled her eyes and gave a helpless smile. "It was dark, but I knew where I was going and it was a walk I'd taken hundreds of times before. But..."

Her smile faded and her voice grew soft. "I was so caught up in how I was going to win the next inevitable argument with Jin, I didn't pay any attention to what was happening around me."

She fingered the scar absent-mindedly. "I got grabbed from behind," she said. "I never really registered what was happening. He took my wallet, and my phone... He was yelling at me, pulling my hair..." She shivered, her eyes wide. "I never even felt the knife go in – I tried to hit him and it just... glanced by me..."

Linka watched silently, not sure what to do or say.

Gi continued anyway, almost unaware that Linka was there. "I got home and Jin noticed all the blood... It looked worse than it really was, but I went into shock, I guess. I hadn't even noticed it. He took me to hospital and I got it stitched up."

She drew in a deep breath. "From then on, he told me it wasn't safe for me to walk to and from work like that. And I believed him. He started telling me it wasn't safe to go to the market, or to go to coffee with friends from work. Anything could happen..."

Linka frowned. Viktor had used similar lines on her.

"He just wanted me safe," Gi breathed, "he wanted me home and safe, and pregnant. And by the time I realised how much I'd really given up, it was all lost anyway."

She raised her eyes to Linka's. "Jin never hurt me," she said. "But he made me feel trapped. Maybe I'm stupid, thinking he always meant well. Maybe he was more like Viktor than I'd like to admit. But I loved him with all my heart, once, and I know how hard it is to leave the security of something like that even if you know it's not entirely healthy."

Linka swallowed and nodded silently.

"He made me feel safe," Gi said softly, "Even if he went about it the wrong way."

Linka failed to keep her tears back. She wiped her eyes quietly and Gi shuffled carefully along the edge of the bed and opened her arms.

Linka rested her head against Gi's chest and sobbed. "You left him," she sniffed. "I could never leave Viktor; I was not strong enough."

"You _did_ leave Viktor," Gi soothed. "You just needed somewhere else to go. As soon as Wheeler provided a place, you found the strength to go with him. Right?"

Linka wiped her eyes again and failed to voice an answer.

"I mean, I had to go all the way to Australia to finally feel like I'd escaped the cage I'd been kept in," Gi said wryly. "When I started a new job and got new friends I thought I'd be able to breathe again."

"Could you?" Linka asked, closing her eyes.

"Not really. All it did was remind me I was taking another step away from Hope Island and the Planeteers. I think I kept trying to find new ways to patch the wound, and nothing worked. My marriage with Jin was probably the same – something to rush into. Something I glossed over – trying to ignore the rough patches because having my marriage fail meant I had to figure out what to do next. There was never a way back. Only forwards. That scared the hell out of me."

She kissed the top of Linka's head. "Not sure what I would have done if Gaia hadn't come to me that night. I felt close to burning out. Keeping busy kept me sane and it wasn't having the right effect anymore."

"Is that why you are so upset about Jin being married again?" Linka asked quietly. "Because it is another door closing?"

"Yeah, maybe..." Gi hugged her a little.

Linka sat up and rubbed her face. Gi kept a hand moving soothingly over her back, and eventually Linka had settled herself enough to give her a shaky smile.

"Wheeler did not like Jin," she said, half a question in her voice.

"He didn't like me with Jin," Gi clarified. "I couldn't figure out why until the divorce. He was right, though."

"For once," Linka added.

Gi laughed. "Yeah."

They smiled at one another.

"Are we okay?" Gi asked softly.

Linka nodded carefully. "You did not have to tell me any of that," she said. "We do not need similar circumstances to bring us together again, Gi. We have enough already. We were friends before, for good reasons. I think a lot of those reasons are still there. They are just taking their time to resurface."

"I guess so," Gi whispered. "I'd take us back there if I could."

"I know," Linka answered. She smiled and shook her head. "There is never a way back. Only forwards. We should stop being afraid."

Gi wrapped her arms around Linka tightly, tears prickling behind her eyes as Linka returned the embrace.

For the first time in ten years, she felt truly whole again.

She drew in a shaky breath. "We should find the others," she whispered. "We still have work to do."

Linka nodded and they walked towards the beach together, tentatively repaired and happy.

On the horizon, however, storm clouds were brewing.

Zarm was coming.

xXx


	15. Care and Correspondence

 

"We've got time for breakfast, right?" Wheeler asked anxiously, looking out at the distant storm clouds.

"We should make time," Ma-Ti agreed softly. "I am beginning to feel faint from hunger."

"Let's go raid the kitchen and get some strength up, then," Gi suggested.

Wheeler took hold of Linka's hand and tugged her back gently. "Hey," he whispered, "You should call Mishka."

She nodded with immediate agreement and Wheeler handed her his cell, squeezing her fingers gently before he followed the others towards the kitchen.

Mishka answered the call almost immediately. "Wheeler, please tell me you have good news," he said desperately.

"I think it is good news," Linka said with a smile. "Hello."

She heard his breath explode from him in an enormous sigh of relief. "Linka," he said. "Thank goodness. Are you all right?"

"I am all right," she confirmed, sitting down in the sand. "I'm tired. A lot has happened."

"Do you have time to tell me?" he asked softly.

She glanced towards the gathering storm. "I don't think so," she answered. "Not now. Things are happening, Mishka. Bad things. I am not sure the Planeteers will be able to stop this..."

Mishka chuckled. "You have been brought back from nowhere _twice_ ," he said. "What makes you think the Planeteers will fail now?"

She gave a small smile. "Nothing."

"Please take care, Linka," he said desperately. "You are still so far away... I need you to come and visit soon. The boys need to meet you."

"I will meet them," she promised. "I will meet them and spoil them with chocolate and loud toys that will keep you awake at night."

He laughed and she smiled.

"I promise I'll call you soon," she said, feeling a little guilty about calling him when she didn't have time to explain the entire situation at hand. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," he sighed. "I think I miss you more now than I did when you were with Viktor."

She lifted a palm of sand and let it trickle back through her fingers. "I have been thinking of him a lot," she admitted, casting her eyes back to the clouds that were rolling and rumbling far out over the ocean. "For some reason, I think I thought that being with Wheeler and being with the Planeteers would heal all of that."

"It will, eventually," Mishka said softly. "You can't expect it to happen immediately, Linka. You've been through too much to feel free of it so soon."

A distant crack of thunder sent a shiver up Linka's spine. "Mishka, I have to go," she said regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he answered. "I know the life of a Planeteer is a busy one..."

She smiled. "I'll call you," she promised. "I'll call you when it's over."

He paused, sensing the fear and trepidation that she hadn't quite managed to force back. "Please be safe, Little Linka," he whispered. "All of you. Please be safe."

xXx

Breakfast was hurried and disorganised. Plates were piled high with toast and tossed carelessly into the middle of the table as bacon still sizzled in the pan.

Gi, at least, insisted upon making the coffee properly, which Wheeler thanked her for by choking on a hasty gulp and spraying her with crumbs.

"Chew your food, Yankee," Linka said, frowning at him.

"I haven't eaten in _four days_ ," Wheeler said around a mouthful of bacon, egg and toast. "I may never eat again."

Linka's Russian was sharp and swift. "Don't joke about that."

He looked up at her and grinned and Ma-Ti and Gi exchanged amused glances.

Gi noticed Kwame sitting at the end of the table, frowning down at his cell phone.

"Are you okay, Kwame?" she asked softly.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Yes," he said hesitantly. "I just – I need to make a call."

Gi forced three slices of buttered toast into his hand. "Make sure you eat," she pleaded. "We need our leader to lead us, today." She smiled at him and he gave her a ready smile back, but he still looked worried as he left the table and headed for the beach.

xXx

Kwame ate his toast as he wandered down the beach, forcing himself to swallow, knowing he had to fill his stomach with _something._ He sank into the sand with a sigh and held his cell phone to his ear.

He hadn't the faintest idea what he was going to say when she answered, but Makena was on his mind, and with the impending clash with Zarm he felt the need to reach out to someone.

"Kwame," she answered softly. "Hello."

He smiled, feeling that familiar wave of sadness wash over him – regret and grief and loss, all mingled with his love for her.

"I did not wake you, did I?" he asked.

"No," she assured him. "I am up with a cup of tea."

He chuckled softly. "Nothing has changed, then."

She laughed back. "I suppose not." She paused for a moment. "Is everything all right?" she asked after a moment.

Kwame smiled to himself and traced a finger through the sand, absent-mindedly scrawling Makena's name. "I thought I should call and tell you..." He sighed and scrubbed her name out gently with his palm. "I am about to do something dangerous," he said.

"Dangerous?" She sounded vaguely amused, and he couldn't blame her.

He let another small smile cross his face. "The Planeteers have reformed," he said softly.

"Oh," she breathed. "Oh, I'm glad. I think that might be good for you, Kwame. You have been working so hard and you have been so sad for so long..." She cleared her throat slightly. "I am glad you have the Planeteers back," she concluded softly. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," he told her. "I am very tired. But I do not feel as lost as I did..." He frowned down at his toes, pushing them deeper into the sand. "I have become so used to shielding myself from all the pain and unhappiness we faced together, Makena. I think I may have shielded myself from the happier things, too. Accidently."

"I know," she whispered understandingly. "I've done that too. You _told_ me I was doing it. That I was retreating into a shell."

"I did not realise I was doing it myself," he sighed. "I am beginning to feel as though I have a purpose, again. But it frightens me a little." He swallowed.

"Why?" she asked. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

He fell gently back into the sand, closing his eyes as he heard her softly-spoken endearment. "I'm so afraid of losing them," he admitted quietly. "I am not sure I could stand it..."

"I'm sure everything will be okay," she answered soothingly.

"What we are facing is dangerous," he croaked, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "I am not sure what will happen."

"It will be fine," she promised him, her voice firm and determined. "You will all pull together and be the Planeteers, and you will all be fine."

He smiled and opened his eyes to the blue sky above him. "Maybe," he admitted.

"Yes," she emphasised. "Do you remember what you told me, just after the..." She trailed off quickly and cleared her throat quietly. "Just after the divorce?" she asked.

He frowned. "No."

She gave a laugh, then, and sighed. "You told me we were hurting so much because we'd had something so wonderful in the first place," she said. "Remember? That our sadness was so profound because our happiness had been so beautiful? It hurts to lose something beautiful. But we should never forget the feelings we had _before_ the sadness."

He was silent for a moment.

She continued, sounding slightly annoyed. "I can't believe you don't remember telling me that."

He laughed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Was I right?" he asked.

"Of course you were. Kwame, losing Safi was the worst thing that could ever have happened to us. But the short time he was in our lives – wasn't it beautiful?"

"Yes," he answered, propping himself up onto his elbows.

"Shouldn't you allow yourself to feel happiness like that again? The Planeteers were such a source of love and comfort for you. Let yourself feel that again. Don't shield yourself from it just because you're afraid it won't last. Have faith."

He creased his brow, rapid thoughts flying through his mind. "It is so much simpler in theory than it is in practise," he said worriedly.

"I know," Makena answered gently. "I know it has been a long time since you saw them, Kwame. But Gi and Ma-Ti never wavered for all those years. They worried about you so much. They love you. They do. And I know I am not in a position to judge Wheeler, given that he never contacted you – but I have always thought that he was embarrassed about his troubles and did not want to disappoint you. You were their leader, Kwame. You were the one they looked to for advice and strength. I am sure when the group split, they felt as though they had failed you."

"But that is not what happened," he said desperately, "I did not see it that way. It was _I_ who failed them, it was –"

"Hush, now," she said sternly. "Nobody was to blame. I know I wasn't there, but I have heard the story enough times to know nobody was at fault."

She sighed, and he could picture her vividly, curled up in an arm chair with a blanket tucked around her knees, a half-finished cup of tea at her elbow. He smiled at the image.

"I am not sure what challenges you're facing right now," she said gently. "But I know that when you have the Planeteers by your side, you are stronger than ever. You were always meant for them, Kwame. What we had was beautiful, but perhaps it would not have lasted even if things had been easier for the both of us. You were always supposed to be with them." She lowered her voice even further. "Do not be afraid," she said. "It will be all right."

He sat up slowly, listening to her breath on the other end of the line. "I am glad I called you," he said after a moment, a self-conscious tone in his voice. "I had forgotten how good you are at convincing me I am being ridiculous."

She laughed and he smiled as the beautifully familiar – but somehow long-forgotten – sound reached him.

"I am sure you are about to face something very difficult," she said, "And you say it will be dangerous. But face it with strength and resolve, Kwame. It is time to stop hiding."

He nodded. "Yes, I know. Thank you, Makena. I am not sure what I was looking for, but somehow you have given it to me anyway."

She chuckled. "You had better go and be a Planeteer, then," she said. "Be careful, won't you?"

"I promise," he answered softly.

He paused. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but at the same time he wasn't sure he should. He _did_ love her. She was always to be kept in his heart – but she was in his past, too, and not his future. She was behind him, as much as it upset him and grieved him. Makena's place in Kwame's life had been closed up and as much as he loved her, he doubted their relationship would change from anything other than distant contact and deep grief.

"I love you," she said, cutting into his thoughts.

He smiled and closed his eyes. "I love you, too," he answered softly.

"Please be safe, Kwame."

She hung up and he was left with the quiet dial tone in his ear. He listened to it for a long moment before he lowered his hand and clicked his phone closed.

He looked back down the beach. Wheeler and Linka were standing hand-in-hand in the shallows, and Gi and Ma-Ti were walking down to join them. He got to his feet slowly, knowing they were gathering there for the same reason he had called Makena.

He could hear thunder in the distance, and the sea was steely-grey and rough. The time to regather their energy and their resources was up.

It was time for the Planeteers to fight.

xXx

Gaia stood in front of the dimmed Planet Vision screen in The Crystal Chamber. As always, she could feel and sense the Earth's rotation, and hear the pulse of magma and the grinding of rocks and tectonic plates below her. She could sense earthquakes that were happening in Asia and she could feel the pull of a tide that was going to result in a tsunami.

All of this was vague and something she was used to.

There was something else, though. Antarctica had bothered her for quite some time, and while she knew Doctor Blight had a lot to do with it, there were entirely different feelings sweeping over her now. Waves and currents that shouldn't belong, pushing apart and forcing everything down with the weight of a burden that was entirely foreign. Icebergs blasted and melted immediately to forge a path.

They were coming.

She glanced out to the beach. Her Planeteers stood silently in the shadows, watching the forming storm that Gaia was helpless to prevent. She could feel it in her stomach, heavy and uncomfortable. Zarm had sent it ahead and she could only hope that the natural forces of lightning and wind would help her rather than hinder her.

She flicked her eyes towards Wheeler and Linka. Lightning and Wind, helping her rather than hindering her.

She didn't want to have to tell her Planeteers they were alone. Alone, here with her, and she wasn't even sure they'd win.

She walked down to the beach, the increasing wind cool and strong against her, causing her robes to press against her and flutter wildly. For a moment, an avalanche in the Alps distracted her, pulling at her mind gently, but she dismissed it almost automatically.

"Gaia..." Gi looked worried. "Did you talk to the elders?"

"Yes, Gi."

It was no use. She had to tell them. She just wasn't sure they'd be able to understand.

"They're not coming to help us, are they?"

Gaia turned her gaze to Ma-Ti and smiled gently at him. Little Ma-Ti, all grown up and more understanding and intuitive than ever. Even she had failed to predict just how adept he would become with the power of Heart.

"I'm afraid not, Ma-Ti."

"What?" Wheeler exploded, while the others just looked afraid and disappointed.

She let Wheeler run away with his words for a moment.

"They banished Zarm in the first place!" he said furiously. "Then he beats them – basically breaks out of their prison and heads here to destroy an entire planet – and they refuse to help? What the hell?"

"They are not like me, Wheeler," she interrupted quietly. "They are more like Zarm. They prize power and strength. They admire tenacity."

"Oh, brilliant," Wheeler said sarcastically. "So they're on his side? Why banish him in the first place, then?"

"They are not on his side," Gaia explained patiently, eyeing the clouds and stretching out sensitive waves to see how fast they were approaching. "Zarm's interference with orbiting asteroids was childish and meddlesome. Pranks and foolishness will not be tolerated. But he's displaying strength and initiative now. He's made his way back – nobody else has ever done that. In their eyes, he has gained a rightful place to challenge my position."

"That's it?" Wheeler asked, looking gobsmacked. "They're going to pit the two of you together to see who comes out on top? And that's who gets to rule Earth?"

Linka put a calming hand on his arm, but he still looked furious.

"The elders are not like anything you know of, Wheeler," Gaia explained. "Their emotions are not like ours. If they spent more time on Earth or other planets, with humans and emotions and empathies, then maybe they would see just how terrible this situation could potentially come. But right now, balanced does not equal best. Strength equals best, and if Zarm overcomes me, then they see it as a natural progression and a natural takeover."

"That's bullshit," Wheeler snapped.

"Yes," Gaia agreed wearily. She saw Gi give a momentary grin as she agreed with Wheeler's expletive.

"He's tried to do this before, Planeteers," she said. "The elders never interfered when he tried to overtake Earth years ago; remember?"

"Yeah, but apparently when he fucks around with some asteroids, it's too much to take," Wheeler answered.

"Stop it, Wheeler," Linka said, frowning up at him. "This is not Gaia's fault."

Gaia turned her attention to Kwame. He was staring out to sea, watching the waves roll in and smash against the beach. She knew he was thinking about his first night back on Hope Island. He had come to her, angry and upset – heartbroken – that she had not helped him during the ten years he had struggled to survive away from Hope Island.

She had explained as best as she could that it had not been right for her to interfere with his timeline. She still wasn't sure he understood, but she could see now that he was comparing her current explanation to her previous one.

Finally, he turned, and noticed her watching him. He gave her a small smile and spoke quietly to the Planeteers, his voice soft but determined over the crashing waves.

"So our challenge is going to be a little greater than we thought it would be," he said, shrugging slightly. "There is no point in getting upset about it, Planeteers. We have a job to do, and we must use our strength there instead of on useless bickering and bitterness. There is too much to lose."

Gaia felt the solid lock of trust and faith click tightly between them, shifting in the air like a physical element of Earth itself.

xXx

Zarm was ahead of Blight now – she knew that. She had left first, in her second jet, refusing his offer of 'Planeteer Travel' – whatever that was. She had little to no interest in how Zarm and the Planeteers were getting to Hope Island. As far as she was concerned, her job was done.

However, she needed to make sure Zarm didn't go too far in his new ruling of the planet. As much as the possibility of total destruction excited her, Blight needed a liveable environment for herself. She intended to stop Zarm if it looked like he was going to go too far. She glanced to the ray gun on the empty seat beside her. She _would_ stop him if he tried to double-cross her. Well and truly.

The other Planeteers, however... She wasn't sure how she'd stop them, if things got out of control. She supposed she'd need Gaia's help, and the help of Earth's Planeteers. Maybe if Blight took Zarm out of the picture, the others would be strong enough to reign in the foreign Planeteers if things started looking bad for Blight.

She shifted uncomfortably. There were a lot of variables she didn't like the look of.

"Dr. Blight?"

She glanced to MAL's face on the screen in front of her. He had that infuriating look that told her he had what he considered Very Important Information. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for it.

"What is it, MAL?" she asked impatiently.

"I've corresponded with the shadow MAL in Jet 1," he answered, looking a little smug. "He was able to keep surveillance on the Planeteers as they took the jet to Hope Island."

"Hm," Blight answered tiredly. "That's good."

"The jet was taken to Hope Island for an energy-source overhaul," MAL continued. "Then they flew it back to Antarctica before that dreadful Fire Planeteer took it for a solo flight."

Blight spun to face him in her chair, suddenly interested. "Oh yes?"

MAL looked pleased with her attention. "Would you like to know where he went, Doctor?"

"Of course, MAL," she snapped harshly.

The screen fizzed for a moment and she knew he was corresponding with the 'back-up' version of himself in the jet she had left behind. She waited impatiently until surveillance footage flashed up on the screen.

The Fire Planeteer. Pale and exhausted with dark shadows under his eyes, looking nervous and afraid as he landed the jet.

She sat up in alarm, her seat creaking at the sudden movement. She recognised the scenery immediately, though it had been many years since she'd been there herself.

"Turn it off," she said harshly.

MAL blinked back at her. "Don't you want to see what he was there for?"

Blight paused. "He spoke with Plunder?"

"It would appear he barely escaped what was, at the very least, a deeply traumatic experience," MAL drawled. "It seems Mr. Plunder wasn't too happy to see him."

Blight sank back in her chair, her heart beating rapidly. "Leave me alone, MAL."

He pouted. "That's not fair," he said, "It's not my fault you –"

Blight flicked the manual override for the monitor, cutting him off in mid sulk.

She breathed deeply for a few moments, forcing herself to focus on the situation at hand. The radars started showing signs of a storm ahead, and Blight knew Zarm was to blame.

She had long since held the coordinates for Hope Island, but the place was still so damn cloaked and hidden, any other sign of its presence was welcome. The storm was a good indication of where Gaia and her Planeteers were.

She flipped through various angles and location shots on the monitors around her, seeking out confirmation that Zarm had arrived. She found him, eventually, not that far ahead of her.

The 'other' Water Planeteer had boated them all there on waves and currents, riding the platform of ice across the waves so quickly it had barely started to melt. Blight could see the deep channel of water being pushed along with blue pulses of light, waves rising either side of the ice as though she, Water, was Moses parting the Red Sea.

Blight smirked and prepared to land the jet. The image had disturbed her a little, and _that_ reassured her. Anything about the other Planeteers that made Blight nervous would sure as hell feel worse when looked at from the side of Gaia and her battered minions.

xXx

Gi clutched Kwame's arm, feeling weak. Her face was ashen as she washed the approaching waves and spotted the other Planeteers.

"How is she doing that?" she gasped softly, her knees quivering. "How is she doing that?"

Kwame put an arm around Gi's waist, supporting her, his eyes fixed upon the approaching 'vessel', which had slowed somewhat. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead.

Zarm stood at the forefront, his eyes narrowed and a thin smile on his face as he took in the small crowd on Hope Island's main beach. He raised his hand and sent a quick pulse of yellow light – a ball of pure energy, fierce and destructive – towards Gaia.

The Planeteers hadn't seen it coming, but Gaia had. They all jumped as she stepped swiftly in front of them and held her hand out. There was a loud thud, muffled and deep, and for a moment there was a brilliant flash of purple that indicated the shape of a protective wall in front of them.

She kept her eyes staring out to sea, but spoke softly and urgently to her Planeteers.

"Call Captain Planet. Now."

xXx


	16. Storm

 

The sky hung dark and low over Hope Island. Clouds drifted and caught in the tall crystal peaks, and thunder rumbled and cracked overhead, occasionally joined by the odd, brilliant flash of lightning.

The raft of ice that supported Zarm and his Planeteers rose and fell on the rolling swells that pounded up against the beach. The tide seemed unusually high, and the spray from the breakers was icy cold as it blew in towards Gaia's Planeteers.

Gi watched nervously, still feeling sick and shaky from the casual display of power by the other Water Planeteer. She leaned against Kwame's arm, not daring to take her eyes from the ice platform that somehow resisted the currents and destructive pulse of the rolling waves.

"Gi!"

She turned in alarm at the sound of Wheeler's voice roaring at her over the sound of the ocean. His eyes were wide and slightly panicked until she realised the others had started the process of calling Captain Planet. She hurried to raise her fist to the sky. She barely heard her own voice over the din of the waves and the wind that was buffeting the small crowd on the beach.

As Ma-Ti raised his own fist and cried his power over the noise of the storm, Zarm sent another fierce ball of light towards Gaia. She stopped it and the thud reverberated through the chests of her Planeteers as they watched Captain Planet appear in the dark sky above them.

"By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!"

His voice was clear and strong, unaffected by the rolling thunder and the crashing waves, which seemed to be creeping up the beach steadily, tearing at the sand and sucking it all back into the ocean.

"Go, Planet!"

Voices were swept away in the wind. A palm tree toppled and crashed backwards into the jungle. The Planeteers all crowded together nervously as Captain Planet flew towards them, landing heavily on the beach and stumbling slightly.

"Whoops," he said cheerfully. "Guess I'm out of practise."

"Way to raise our confidence levels, Cap," Wheeler croaked, tightening his arm around Linka slightly.

Cap grinned at him and stood beside Gaia. She shook her head as though he'd asked her a silent question, and he gave a soft sigh and rubbed his jaw, looking out towards the crowd of intruders.

Zarm's voice floated over them as though he stood in front of them on the beach – clear and quiet.

"I don't suppose you're willing to surrender gracefully, Gaia?" he asked slyly.

There was a loud crack of thunder, and everyone, including Captain Planet, jumped in alarm.

"I guess that answers that," Wheeler muttered.

"Captain Planet?" Linka asked, raising her voice over the sound of the storm.

He turned and looked at her expectantly.

"What happens if they combine their powers?" she asked worriedly.

The Planeteers all balked at the thought, but Captain Planet gave them a quick, reassuring smile.

"They can't," he said. "Same reasons I can't visit their universe. I'm bound to Earth."

"Why aren't their powers bound to their planet?" Ma-Ti asked nervously, watching the other Planeteers. They seemed in no hurry to attack, and the wait was making him anxious.

"That has to do with Zarm's gauntlets," Gaia answered softly. "Go to The Crystal Chamber, Planeteers."

"No way," Wheeler answered immediately, sounding annoyed. "I'm not hiding from _them._ " He gave the other Planeteers a scornful look.

"I'm not asking you to hide," Gaia answered quietly. "I'm asking you to go to The Crystal Chamber."

Wheeler scowled, but Linka tugged on his arm, and the Planeteers stumbled and hurried their way to The Crystal Chamber, not daring to question Gaia's soft judgement. The storm was growing worse. Sand blew in and stung their skin and the waves tore at the beach. Palm fronds were wrenched free and sent spinning through the air.

As Kwame urged the Planeteers into the shelter of The Crystal Chamber, he heard the jetty tear loose, splintering and clattering as the planks were smashed apart by the violent swells of the ocean.

"What now?" Ma-Ti asked, breathing heavily. The wind had sucked their breath away and had left them rosy-cheeked and teary-eyed.

"Gaia sent us here for a reason," Kwame said, though he sounded uncertain.

"Look!" Linka pointed and ran towards the Crystal Vision screens. "Blight!"

Blight had landed her jet in the shelter of the towering crystal peaks nearby, apparently safe from the worst of the storm. She was strolling purposefully towards The Crystal Chamber, the small ray gun tucked into the utility belt slung around her hips.

"If we get that gun, can we shoot those big creepy Planeteers back to wherever they came from?" Wheeler asked.

Ma-Ti and Linka glanced at one another for confirmation before Linka spoke. "It is possible," she said slowly. "I think we would need to change the coordinates. And I am not sure what coordinates we need."

"They might be stored on the gun," Gi said hopefully.

"MAL would know," Ma-Ti answered. "I bet he's in the jet."

"Come on," Kwame said. "We will try."

xXx

Gaia could feel the small forms of her Planeteers moving towards the darker shadow of Blight, and she felt a tingle of relief. In the grand scheme of things, her Planeteers were so very frail, here. Skin and bone seemed so entirely inadequate for a situation such as this. Taking on Blight was something they were more capable of.

She was sure Zarm knew where they were, but typically, he chose to arrogantly ignore them and underestimate them. He assumed that he had already won and he was simply enjoying himself with further displays of intimidation.

Gaia felt the thunder overhead before it finally cracked and rumbled low over the beach. Captain Planet stood quietly beside her, apparently waiting.

She was waiting too, though she wasn't entirely sure what she was waiting _for._ Zarm appeared to be in no hurry, and she found the apparent passiveness of his Planeteers a little disconcerting.

She was relieved to have Captain Planet by her side. She was stronger with him there, and she knew that they could combine their powers to become a greater force if need be.

She just wasn't entirely sure what would happen to him if they did.

"This could destroy you," she said to him.

He shrugged and gave her a grin. "At least it'll be quick, if you do it," he said.

She nodded. She hadn't expected him to resist, but it was a relief to have him confirm his thoughts with such acceptance anyway.

"What do you want to do, Gaia?"

It was nerve-wracking, having him ask her that. She wasn't sure how to answer. She stood rooted on the beach and she could feel herself weighted down and pulled to the very core of the Earth which shifted and spun restlessly around her. The shifts Zarm was forcing upon it made her dizzy and disoriented and she forced herself to push it all aside and focus herself on the unnatural storm above Hope Island again.

"I'm not sure," she admitted to Captain Planet after a moment, her eyes still locked on Zarm. He smiled at her from across the waves, calm and collected. "At the end of this, either myself or Zarm will be destroyed. It's all or nothing, this time."

She felt Captain Planet's frown like a weight upon her shoulders. He was almost as ancient as she was and she knew he understood the severity of the situation and the needles of past tension and history she held with Zarm. Without being a constant physical presence on Earth, he somehow understood her and needed nothing from her but her actual existence to know everything she knew herself.

"Let's get this over with," he muttered after a moment. "He wants a fight."

She nodded in agreement, narrowing her eyes against the wind and the ocean spray. Around them, the storm raged, but neither of them appeared to hear it or feel it beyond a minor annoyance.

"Destroy me," Captain Planet said after a moment, standing still beside her. "If it looks like he's going to win, destroy me."

"Let's hope it won't come to that," she answered. She patted his shoulder and he took a step forward.

No use in waiting around anymore.

xXx

Blight scowled and attempted to comb her hair with her fingers as the wind tore at her, buffeting her body and spraying her with sand. She could hear the ocean roaring in against the beach through the trees, and now and then there'd be a crack as another tree split and crashed to the ground.

The sky was oddly dark and light at the same time – thick black clouds hanging low and heavy, lit by flashes of lightning and an odd aura that seemed to seep upwards from the horizon, though the sun had to be high above, lost somewhere in the middle of the clouds.

She wasn't sure where she was headed, really. Somewhere sheltered from the storm, where she could watch Zarm and Gaia battle it out from a safe vantage point. Once Gaia was destroyed she'd call Zarm off and force him to relinquish control to her.

This was the part of the deal which was still sketchy, and Blight cursed herself once again for not thinking things through all the way. She had set out to bring Zarm back from another dimension, and once that was achieved she realised she'd left herself rather open to vulnerability and the possibility of being double-crossed. She hadn't expected his other Planeteers, and while she didn't really care what he did to Gaia or the stupid Planeteers _she_ was familiar with, Blight needed Earth to remain liveable enough for herself.

She was beginning to think Zarm might get a little carried away.

She touched the gun on her belt gently. It was her security. She could destroy him with one simple movement of the trigger, and she wouldn't hesitate if it looked like he was going too far.

"Hello, Dr. Blight."

She looked up in alarm at the sound of the cheerful voice, and froze mid-step. It was the Heart Planeteer. He stood in the entrance way of the low-roofed building she had been heading for. She dared not approach him.

She scowled. "Get out of the way," she ordered, motioning towards the gun on her belt.

She _hated_ the Heart Planeteer. He was so infuriatingly calm and full of hope and love and goodness. She loathed the fact he was so hard to panic and twist. The other Planeteers displayed much deeper feelings of fear or anger or resentment. She had seen the Heart Planeteer break once or twice, but he still gave her chills. She was never sure what he was thinking and she had never really understood exactly how his power worked.

He smiled at her now and she felt her stomach twist itself into knots of anxiety.

"Is MAL with you?" he asked.

The question threw her. She gazed at him blankly before she snapped back at him. "Of course he is."

"Do you think you could ask him to tap into our Crystal Vision screens?" Ma-Ti asked politely, pointing back into the room behind him. "I have some questions for him."

Blight wrenched the gun from her belt and pointed it towards Ma-Ti. He jumped nimbly out of the way as she fired wildly and left a smoking hole in the wall by the doorway.

She was so furiously focused on the Heart Planeteer she failed to notice the others creeping up behind her until it was too late. Earth clapped her heavily on the shoulders and had her arms pinned to her sides before she could take another breath. And Fire, damn him, prised the gun from her hand and frowned down at it.

"Hello, Dr. Blight," Earth said, his voice low and quiet against the storm which continued to wail around them. "I think we need to talk."

Blight gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the dirt, refusing to make anything easy for the idiots who seemed to think it was their life duty to push her around.

xXx

Captain Planet waved his hand rather lazily and sent a red stripe of heat towards Zarm and his Planeteers. It sliced through the ice immediately and Gaia heard them all shriek as the balance and structure of their raft suddenly disappeared from under them.

But the sea suddenly parted again, a huge tunnel of water roaring its way towards the beach, revealing the sandy floor and the drenched Water Planeteer, looking furious. Blue light tracked its way through the spray as she made her way to the beach, her feet trudging through the wet sand which had been at the bottom of the ocean just seconds before. The other Planeteers followed her, the sea roaring and shifting above them.

Zarm had disappeared and Gaia narrowed her eyes, sending out a quick search for him. She almost smirked when she realised where he was.

In a typical move, he had underestimated the Heart Planeteer he had brought to Earth. After considering Heart to be the weakest Planeteer, Zarm had used his body to become solid form, knowing he would only be a transparent ghost while Gaia still remained on Hope Island. Now he was solid, though they were also one Planeteer down, and Gaia fought to restrain her obvious relief after learning he had chosen to take Heart away from the battle by using him as a vessel.

She watched the Heart Planeteer as they all approached the beach. He looked no different to the others, really, but when he spoke it was with Zarm's voice, and when he stopped at the edge of the beach he stood with the calm authority Zarm had displayed out on the ice raft.

"Last chance, Gaia."

She felt fury rise up inside her and it took effort to concentrate it all into another crack of thunder instead of letting it out via a volcanic eruption somewhere.

Zarm laughed and Gaia watched the Heart Planeteer's face contort with his pleasure.

"So be it," he said. He turned to the Fire Planeteer and nodded.

"Don't!" Gaia cried.

She tried to stop him, but Zarm sheltered him with a force equal to her own.

The Fire Planeteer sent a large, hot ball of fire towards The Crystal Chamber and Gaia felt her stomach drop. She turned to Captain Planet as the fire streaked through the air towards the building sheltering her Planeteers.

"Get them out of there," she urged.

He was already gone.

xXx

"Will this gun send them home?" Wheeler asked again, sounding more and more irritated.

Blight was sulking. She sat with her arms crossed and one leg slung over the other, her foot bouncing impatiently. "Zarm won't let you," she said after a moment. "You might hit one of them and then he'll stop you."

"In the forest on the other planet you said it could stop Zarm," Gi said, standing in front of Blight with her hands on her hips. "How do we get rid of him?"

Blight cackled and looked up at her. "You can't."

"You said you would stop him if he double-crossed you!" Linka snapped furiously. "If we shoot him will it send him away?"

There was a loud crack of thunder overhead and Blight glanced out the windows at the black sky. "I find it hard to believe you'd so willingly cause someone's utter destruction," she said impatiently. "Now give it back to me and let me deal with it, will you?"

"You don't know what we'll do," Wheeler said, clutching the gun. "Plunder seems to have nurtured his cruelty all right – how do you know we haven't done the same?"

Blight looked up at him and opened her mouth before slowly closing it again. She turned her gaze back to the window as there was another enormous crack of thunder. She looked distant and thoughtful and Wheeler frowned down at her, purposefully avoiding Linka's eyes, which he knew were fixed upon him in concern. He still hadn't told her everything regarding his contact with Plunder.

Linka watched him carefully and felt alarm shoot through her as he frowned and clutched his stomach, letting out a soft sigh of pain and discomfort.

"Wheeler?"

She didn't get time to finish. Kwame barrelled into her from behind, catching both her and Gi together and crashing with them to the ground just as the roof tore off in a fiery roar. The thatched roof sprayed down on them as sparks and glowing embers, and the wind rushed into the room, cold and powerful.

Wheeler had thrown himself to the ground as soon as the roof had peeled back. He wasn't sure what had happened – it had all lifted away in a great scatter of twigs and sparks, most of it burning in mid-air before the debris started to fall and rain down to the floor of The Crystal Chamber. He threw his arms over his head, sheltering himself and praying that the others were all right.

He knew, suddenly, that the other Fire Planeteer was to blame, and fear swept through him as he realised just how powerful the fireball had been and how intense the heat of it was. He could still feel it on his back as though flames were licking up against his skin. He shifted gingerly, blinking and spluttering as the final remnants of the thatched roof drifted down through the air.

Ma-Ti had managed to fling himself beneath the shelter of the Crystal Vision screen, the ledge above him sheltering him from the sparks and embers raining down. Kwame was slowly lifting his head, his body still sprawled out on top of Linka and Gi, who both looked dazed and afraid.

Captain Planet kicked a burning pile of thatch out of the way, having arrived just seconds after the initial impact. "Are you guys okay?"

They all struggled to their feet, brushing themselves clear of sparks and burning bits of twig.

Wheeler clapped his hands to his pockets and looked around. "Shit," he breathed, running his fingers through his hair. "Where's Blight? And where the hell is the gun?"

Captain Planet looked anxiously back to the beach. "Two of you go and find her," he said. "The rest of you come with me. This is about to get nasty."

Ma-Ti grabbed Gi's hand and ran without hesitation towards the path that led into the jungle, instinctively knowing Blight had headed for the shelter and protection of the trees, the gun clutched tightly in her hands.

Kwame, Wheeler and Linka followed Captain Planet back onto the beach, the wind tearing at them and the pounding surf drowning out the noise of their thudding heartbeats.

xXx

Zarm laughed and Gaia watched Heart's shoulders shake merrily. "This will be even easier than I first thought," he chuckled. "Just _one_ of my Planeteers can take out all five of yours." He sidled up to her and she looked into the dark eyes of the strange Planeteer with displeasure as Zarm murmured quietly to her over the din of the storm.

"Step down," he said. "I'll spare them. They won't be harmed."

"Do you really expect me to simply let you take over my planet?" she asked with disdain.

"Still stubborn, I see," he muttered. "So be it." He turned to his Planeteers and waved his hand back towards Hope Island. "Destroy it!" he snarled.

Linka looked up at Captain Planet desperately as she saw the Heart Planeteer gesture angrily towards the body of Hope Island. "What do we do?" she asked.

"Anything you can," he said, sounding rather apologetic. "I'm not sure. Maybe if we take one of them out the others will fall."

"Where's Zarm?" Kwame asked.

"Inside the Heart Planeteer. Don't go near him." Captain Planet shook his head. "He's going to destroy as much of Hope Island as he can, weakening Gaia. Leave him to us. He can't do too much or he'll destroy the environment he needs himself. We just need to make sure Gaia stays strong so he has to stop and think of something else."

"When Zarm gave us the gauntlets we tried to outdo one another," Linka said. "Maybe we can turn these Planeteers against one another."

Wheeler looked back towards The Crystal Chamber, still smoking and burning around the edges of the collapsed ceiling. The total ease at which it had been destructed disturbed him. He knew his ring couldn't have done half as much damage.

He suddenly wished Captain Planet was not there. Wheeler felt very vulnerable without his power to himself and he wasn't sure how Captain Planet was going to stretch himself and protect everyone from the Planeteers Zarm had brought with him.

Kwame seemed to sense his worry and he squeezed his shoulder gently, raising his voice over the roar of the wind and the ocean as they prepared themselves to approach the other Planeteers.

"We are stronger than we have ever been," he said. "Are you ready, my friend?"

"Yeah," Wheeler answered. His voice sounded strangely strangled. He took Linka's hand and squeezed it. She had her eyes narrowed towards the other Wind Planeteer, who was standing on the beach, calm and confident, the wind off the ocean blowing her dark hair in long whips around her face.

She turned to Fire, beside her, and murmured something to him, nodding up towards Wheeler and Linka. They each felt the air tremble with the force of their soft words, like hot wind stealing their breath away.

Fire smirked and Wheeler felt his stomach quiver. He unconsciously tugged Linka closer to him.

Whether they wanted it that way or not, he had the feeling each Planeteer would be forced to face off against their parallel double. It didn't matter what Gaia or Captain Planet did.

That was just the way things were going to be.

xXx


	17. Typically Impossible

 

Ma-Ti and Gi ran through the forest hand-in-hand, trying to catch up to Blight.

Keeping her voice low, Gi breathlessly asked Ma-Ti a question that had been worrying her for some time. "What happens if she shoots one of _us_ with that thing?"

"I do not think she intends to teleport anyone," Ma-Ti said, his eyes sweeping the forest in front of them. "I think next time Blight shoots that gun, it will be to kill someone."

Gi shivered, but tugged at Ma-Ti's hand quickly. "Look!" she whispered. "She's going back to the jet."

Dr. Blight's pink suit was an easy target to follow. Ma-Ti and Gi crept closer as Blight made her way through the jungle in a wide arc, doubling back to where she had left her jet.

The two Planeteers hovered for a moment as Blight entered the clearing and climbed aboard her vehicle, unsure about how to approach things without the shelter of trees to protect them.

"Where do you think the others are?" Gi asked after a moment.

"On the beach?" Ma-Ti guessed. He shook his head. "It is hard to tell. The Other Planeteers feel different..."

Gi nodded in agreement. "Can you feel the Heart Planeteer?"

"No," Ma-Ti answered softly. "But I can feel the others. I am not sure what that means."

Gi bit her lip. She didn't have an answer for him. She could feel the Water Planeteer, and to a certain extent she could feel the others, too. She wondered if they could feel Gaia's Planeteers in the same way.

Ma-Ti was about to suggest they creep closer to Blight's jet when there was a heavy crack that echoed through the forest. It was shortly followed by a low rumble of thunder.

They both turned, searching the trees with wide eyes until a thick plume of black smoke drifted upwards, caught on the rough wind blowing in from the sea. It spread and swirled angrily, rising higher until it began to mingle with the cloud.

"Fire," Ma-Ti breathed anxiously. "I hope the others are okay."

Gi felt a sick feeling wedge itself in the bottom of her stomach. "They're going to come after us individually, aren't they?" she asked. "Fire will go after Wheeler and Wind will go after Linka and Water will come after me..."

"Calm down," Ma-Ti soothed. "They might try it that way, Gi, but the Hope Island Planeteers are going to stick together. Right?"

She looked worried.

"Gi," Ma-Ti whispered warningly, "Don't feel like you have to take this on alone. Asking for help doesn't mean you'll split us apart, and taking risks and trying to punish yourself for something that happened ten years ago is only going to hurt all of us."

She bit her lip. Somehow he'd manage to sort her complicated feelings into words that made sense. "I know," she whispered.

"You don't have to prove anything," Ma-Ti whispered, kissing her forehead gently. "We know you're strong and we know what you would risk for us. You do not need to prove it." He took her hand again and led her closer to Blight's jet, anxious to see what was going on.

Gi followed him silently and together they peered in through the open door.

xXx

"Just do it, MAL!" Blight snapped impatiently, throwing herself into a chair. "You've done it before!"

"I know I can do it," MAL answered patiently, "I'm just not sure what good it will do. All I'll be able to show you is the inside of Gaia's Crystal Chamber."

"The roof has been destroyed," Blight said. "I'll be able to see out onto the beach and that's where Zarm is. He's inside one of the Planeteers I transported here. Now go and open up Gaia's surveillance system so I can see what's going on without getting my head blown off."

MAL muttered something indistinct and disappeared.

Blight checked the gun, which was tucked securely back into her belt, and ran a gloved hand through her hair, smoothing out the wind-blown tresses until MAL reappeared and the monitors in front of her all flickered to life. The Crystal Chamber still smoked, but through the debris the beach was clear and visible. Zarm was still inside the other Heart Planeteer, and he and Gaia stood facing one another, alone, apparently unwilling to move.

"What's he waiting for?" Blight asked in disgust. "Why doesn't he just zap her into dust?"

"I believe he wants to test his Planeteers against hers, first," MAL answered, sounding amused. "Zarm's Fire Planeteer seems to be enjoying himself."

"Good," Blight said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hope that redheaded firebug has been roasted."

MAL looked at her curiously. "Did he say something to you?"

"No," Blight snapped immediately. She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair again, fidgeting and keeping her eyes locked furiously on the screen showing Zarm and Gaia, who were still refusing to act against one another.

"What the hell did he go to Plunder for, anyway?" Blight asked after a moment.

"He thought Plunder was involved, I believe," MAL answered. "Probably due to all those files you have stored away, or the photograph on your –"

"Enough!" Blight barked at him.

"I'm only stating the facts," MAL sulked. "Anyway, when he came back on board it looked like Plunder had come near to killing him. He looked very shaken. I get the impression Mr. Plunder hasn't changed very much."

"Typical," Blight sniffed.

"You could ask him," MAL said slyly. "Maybe the firebug went there for something else... Maybe Mr. Plunder gave him information to _help_ the Planeteers."

Blight gave a loud laugh. "That'll be the day, MAL."

"Only throwing it out there as a possibility," MAL answered innocently. "It's not like the two of you left things on good terms. Maybe he decided to throw you to the wolves, after all..."

Blight glared at MAL's face on the screen and then straightened her back. "Go on then," she said stiffly. "Connect me. Let's see."

MAL smirked and disappeared for a moment.

Blight waited anxiously, instantly regretting her short temper. She knew MAL had purposefully tried to provoke her into it, and as usual, she had given in.

She had to admit her curiosity had only grown more and more rampant over the years. She missed Plunder. She did. He had literally been her partner in crime. You don't wipe out entire forests or poison entire river systems with someone and not grow to like them a little.

MAL arrived back on screen with a smug look on his face. "Mr. Plunder is online," he said. When he disappeared, he was replaced by Looten Plunder's face.

He ran his eyes over Blight once and then his expression hardened. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you said to that Fire Planeteer," she snapped, immediately annoyed.

"We did very little talking," Plunder said coldly. "I want to know how they _found_ me. I suppose I have you to thank for that."

"It wasn't my fault," Blight argued. "It's not like you're in the middle of nowhere, for God's sake. Gaia probably pointed them right to you."

Plunder scoffed and leaned back in his chair. He looked down at his fingernails, trying to appear blasé. "Is it true you broke through dimensions?"

Blight didn't bother to keep the smug look off her face. "You bet it is."

"Well," Plunder sighed, looking up at her again, "I wonder how long it will be until disaster strikes."

She glared at him. "You haven't changed, I see."

"Neither have you," he snapped. "Even talking with the stupid Fire Planeteer I had to admit you probably had no idea how things were going to end. You probably only knew how to _get_ there."

"I knew how to get back, as well!" she snarled at him, getting to her feet and pointing vehemently at the screen. "I'm not stupid, Looten. There's a difference between stupidity and adrenaline. It's not my fault I'm excited by not having all the answers."

Plunder made a noise of disgust. "Typical," he said.

"Typical!" she snapped back at him. She turned her back on him. "Shut up."

He didn't. He leaned forward in his chair, his voice rising as he grew more and more argumentative. "You're going to end up dead, like Greedly or Sludge," he snarled. "Why the hell do you have this aversion to thinking things all the way through, hm? Do you honestly think luck will keep carrying you?"

"It has nothing to do with _luck_ ," she answered icily. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Oh I'm sure you do," he said, throwing his hands up in disgust. "That explains why everything has worked so brilliantly for you in the past."

She froze and turned slowly on the spot, her one good, clear eye glittering dangerously at him. "Yes," she answered stiffly. "Things _are_ working brilliantly for me. I can teleport myself and others through dimensions and time portals. What have all your carefully-laid plans left you with, Looten? An empty penthouse?" She tilted her head slightly. "You're bitter," she said, sneering at him. "You're alone and you're bitter because you refuse to take risks on anything. You'll die a pathetic old man with just a few memories of what it was like to live a life of adrenaline and chance."

He glared back at her. "You're impossible," he answered angrily.

"That's the way you used to like it," she breathed, and she flipped the switch on the monitor, cutting the transmission. "Goodbye."

Gi turned to Ma-Ti with her eyebrows raised. For a moment she tried to communicate with him silently, but then she remembered Captain Planet was utilising Ma-Ti's powers.

It didn't seem to matter. He was thinking the same thing.

 _Wow._

They grinned at one another and turned back to the jet. Blight was breathing heavily, obviously angered by Looten Plunder's remarks.

"Idiot," she spat, directing the comment at nobody in particular.

"I feel sorry for him," MAL said defensively. "I'm sure his life fell apart after _you_ left him, Doctor."

"Can it, MAL," Blight snarled, not in the mood for flattery. "The man's an idiot. Refusing to take risks on anything in case he doesn't make enough profit." She kicked her chair over and stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the monitor in front of her. "And _this_ idiot," she said, gesturing to the image of Zarm standing on the beach beside Gaia. "Why doesn't he get it over with, already? Why hasn't he smoked her off the planet?"

"She tried to fight him before and he stopped her," MAL answered wearily. "He wants to see what his Planeteers can do. He wants _Gaia_ to watch her Planeteers get crushed like ants."

Blight snorted. "I can help with that." She snatched the gun from her belt and leaned over to kiss MAL's display screen, smudging the side of his face with lipstick.

He looked pleased. "I'm forgiven, then?" he asked.

"For now," she answered airily. "Just don't ever try to convince me a conversation with Looten Plunder is a good idea. Ever again."

"I won't," he answered, sounding innocent.

She gave him a look that indicated she didn't believe him, but stroked the lipstick off his face with a clean swipe of her thumb. "Mind the jet, MAL baby," she answered. "I'm off to wreak some havoc."

MAL smirked. "Have fun, doctor dearest."

xXx

"What do we do, Captain Planet?" Linka asked nervously.

She had asked several times, the stand-off with Zarm's Planeteers fraying her nerves rapidly.

"You can't match their powers," Captain Planet said, watching the other Planeteers carefully, "But you can outsmart them, Linka. I get the impression Zarm's Planeteers are very instinctive and closely connected with their powers."

"How does that help us?" Wheeler asked, gripping Linka's hand tightly.

"Because they won't look at the bigger picture," Cap explained patiently. "And you guys have close connections with your powers too, but you have closer connections with one another. To me, that seems like a bigger advantage."

Kwame understood. He kept close to Wheeler and Linka. "They will not work together," he murmured. "But we will, and we know that together we are stronger. Right?"

Wheeler licked his lips nervously, tasting sea salt and sweat. "Yeah," he said.

Linka gripped his hand tightly and looked up at him. Lightning ran across the sky above, gleaming against the sweat on his jaw, and for a moment she saw him again as he moved above her in bed, his skin warm and close against hers. She breathed deeply and the clap of thunder in the clouds above matched the pounding of her heart.

She wasn't willing to say she would be fighting for solely for Wheeler. She didn't want to believe that everything that had happened since their final mission had been leading to this moment. But she did know that the Planeteers had all travelled separate roads for a long time and they'd come together and clicked again, and it felt right. She knew that the hardships they had all faced over the past ten years had not been enough to keep them apart.

She didn't believe Zarm was enough, either.

"We will be okay," she breathed, feeling a moment of relief as the wind buffeted against her. "We can do this."

Kwame took her free hand and nodded. "Wind and Fire seem determined to chase the two of you down," he said quietly. "I think leading them into the forest is a good idea – we can hide, and we know Hope Island better than they do. Captain Planet can try to stop Water and Earth going after Gi and Ma-Ti."

"What about Heart?" Wheeler asked.

Captain Planet shook his head. "That's not Heart. It's Zarm. And he's going to stay right there with Gaia."

"Why aren't they doing anything?" Wheeler asked.

Wind and Fire began to move, taking long, slow, steady paces towards Kwame, Wheeler and Linka.

"They will," Captain Planet said. "But I'm afraid you guys are gonna be put through your paces, first."

"Typical," Wheeler muttered. He glanced to Gaia and noted the worried look on her face, but she smiled at him when she saw him looking at her. He felt a small surge of courage, but he turned and ran with Kwame and Linka back into the forest, anxious to escape the steady approach of Wind and Fire.

There was a loud bellow, like a roar of steam or smoke being pushed through a chimney. Wheeler felt it race up the length of his spine.

Linka looked back and instantly regretted it. She gave a loud scream and pulled Wheeler's hand, urging him to speed up.

Fire was tunnelling flames through the sand, and Wind stood beside him, urging the flames on, faster and hotter, until the beach rose up in waves of glass that froze and broke in the wind and cold air.

Gaia's three Planeteers reached the forest just as the line of fire caught up to them. It hit a large palm tree, which exploded with a loud crack, raining sparks and splinters down through the forest canopy. Thick black smoke plumed into the air.

Linka fell into the dirt and was immediately hauled up again, Wheeler holding onto her left hand and Kwame holding onto her right.

"You hurt?" Wheeler gasped, clutching his side.

She shook her head and they stumbled on a few paces until they were free of the smoke. Behind them, the beach stood frozen, ripples of glass standing head-high, walling the ocean off and splitting the beach in half.

"They are so strong," Linka whispered, her eyes wide. "We could never do that, Wheeler."

"We've never tried." He gave her a shaky grin.

"We need to get them to turn against one another," Kwame breathed, wiping his palm over his face. "If they team up we do not have a chance."

Fire and Wind were still walking steadily up the beach, almost enveloped by the curling tunnel of glass they had created. They looked almost identical, though Fire seemed slightly bigger. The gauntlets shone brightly against their dark skin.

"Fight."

The voice was a sigh that swept over all of them, clear and sweet like mountain air. Linka felt her knees tremble.

"We don't have our powers," Wheeler called back, sounding slightly shaky. "We can't fight you."

"Fight."

Kwame peered through the leaves of the forest at them. They had stopped at the edge of the beach and were gazing through the trees at the hiding Planeteers.

"We can only fight one of you," he said. "We will fight the strongest one of you."

Fire stepped forward and put his hand to his chest. "Strong."

Linka shook her head and pointed at Wind. " _Nyet._ She is stronger. We will fight her."

Fire glared at her and shook his head. "Strong," he whispered. His voice was hot and unpleasant. Linka leaned her head against Wheeler's arm.

Wind had stepped forward, looking annoyed. She took hold of Fire's arm and pulled him roughly back, somehow communicating with him without saying anything.

He snarled and shot a fireball high into the sky. The light of it forced the Planeteers to shield their eyes, and the heat singed the top of the forest, the leaves of the taller trees curling and turning brown.

Wind sneered at him and swallowed the fireball with a gust of wind, extinguishing it easily.

Fire gave another bellow that rang hot and loud through the air. Wheeler sank to his knees and Kwame and Linka pulled him backwards. Fire and Wind seemed to have forgotten about them.

"It's not even the powers," Wheeler moaned, rubbing his forehead. "It's the voices that make me feel sick. Like they're not real, somehow. Like they're using the gauntlets to speak or something."

Linka nodded, knowing what he meant. "There is something not right," she said anxiously. "I just wish we knew what it was."

"I wish we all knew what that planet was like," Wheeler muttered. "Why do they all look the same? Did everyone look like that, Linka?"

Linka shook her head, glancing over her shoulder fearfully as another huge fireball tore upwards with a roar. " _Nyet,_ we did not see anyone else. There were no other people. Only Zarm's Planeteers."

Kwame urged them to edge further backwards. He frowned slightly. "Something tells me there is more to this than the gauntlets," he said. "Wheeler is right. It is not the gauntlets which affect us. It is the voices. The Planeteers themselves."

Wheeler struggled to his feet and they shuffled further into the forest, keeping low as the other Fire Planeteer grew more and more frustrated, scorching the sky with flames and explosions. "Zarm obviously wants us to _think_ the gauntlets are important," he said. "Maybe we should focus our attention elsewhere."

"If we take the gauntlets away they seem more like Zarm himself," Linka shivered. "Their powers seem like his or Gaia's. Not like Planeteer powers."

Wheeler nodded. "We're not lookin' at this the right way," he said. "Zarm gave us gauntlets and tried to turn us against Gaia. Maybe he thinks we'll assume that's what he's done here. Maybe he's done somethin' entirely different."

Fire pointed at them through the trees. "Stop!" he ordered. A hot wave flew at them, forcing them down, weak and trembling.

"He doesn't just have the power of Fire," Wheeler said anxiously. "He _is_ Fire."

xXx

Gi and Ma-Ti's first instinct had been to hide. Blight had jumped down from the jet and had marched straight into the forest, heading for the thick plume of black smoke that still drifted upwards, being dragged apart by the wind.

It was obvious the Fire Planeteer was there. Huge balls of flame had been roaring upwards from the beach for several minutes now.

"What do we do?" Gi asked, clutching Ma-Ti's arm.

He shook his head, looking afraid. "I'll follow Blight," he said. "She's scared of me. I'll try and get the gun somehow."

Gi chewed her thumbnail anxiously, watching another giant ball of flame rise from the beach. "I'm going to find Captain Planet," she said after a moment. "I'm sure he'd be stopping that fire if he could. Something must be wrong."

Ma-Ti squeezed her hand and they parted silently.

Gi ran through the forest, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She bit her lip as another roar of flame erupted further down the beach, over the treetops. She wasn't sure what any of it meant.

She burst free of the trees and skidded to a halt, her mouth dropping open at the sight of the beach. There was a strange, hot smell in the air, and the crashing waves were blurry and distorted behind a curled, mutated wall of glass.

"Oh, God..." She pushed her fingers into her hair, her eyes wide. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what had happened to her friends or how the beach had turned into such a hideous mess.

For a moment she wanted to flee back into the forest and hide. But further down the beach, just beyond The Crystal Chamber, she could see tall peaks of water rising and swirling.

She forced her legs forward, feeling stiff and unwell.

The Water Planeteer was chasing Captain Planet with large arcs of sea spray. The bay was churned and muddied as Water furiously sent spike after spike of ocean water at Captain Planet, who appeared to be enjoying himself.

Gi hovered anxiously, not knowing what to do, until the sand suddenly erupted from beneath her feet. Earth had seen her and hadn't hesitated to take advantage of her distraction.

She let out a terrified scream as the ground swallowed her up, vanishing from beneath her. She slid into the earth and felt it close tight around her, the sand clogging her mouth and her eyes. She jerked in horror and forced herself not to inhale, but panic overwhelmed her. She was utterly buried.

 _I'm going to die on the beach_ , she thought hysterically. _I can't die on the beach. I can't._

She was about to give in to the sharp ache in her chest when strong arms pulled her gently free, so easily it embarrassed her. She choked and spluttered, prepared to defend her position if necessary. _It felt a lot deeper than that. I couldn't move. I really thought I was deeper than that..._

She realised it had been Captain Planet who had pulled her free. Relief swept through her as she realised her fears had probably been justified after all – she could have been buried miles beneath the surface and he'd still have plucked her out easily and quickly.

Free of the crushing weight around her body, Gi choked and spat sand out of her mouth, feeling it gritty and cold against her skin and her eyes and teeth.

"Howdy," Captain Planet said cheerfully, patting her on the back.

She coughed again and clutched him, unable to see anything at all.

"Just sit here a minute," Captain Planet told her gently. "I think we're in trouble."

She blinked furiously and looked up at him through sand-clogged eyes. "Why?"

"I seem to have lost track of the Earth Planeteer," Captain Planet said, "And Water has just recognised you."

Gi clutched his arm. "The others are in trouble," she choked. "All the fire – and the beach..." She coughed again and retched, forcing sand out of her mouth.

She felt gentle water pouring over her head and face, rinsing the sand away. She blinked and spluttered until Captain Planet came into view. He grinned at her.

"Okay?"

She nodded and wiped her face. "How are your water powers holding up to hers?" she croaked.

Water was moving closer, slow and confident, watching Gi curiously.

"I haven't done too badly so far," Captain Planet answered, helping Gi to her feet.

"Stop." Water held her hand up and Gi felt the force of the single syllable thump through her chest.

Captain Planet glanced around anxiously for the other Earth Planeteer. "Where's your friend?"

Water tilted her head, confused, and then turned her attention to Gi. "We fight," she said.

Gi shook her head, trembling. "I don't want to fight. Don't you know what you're doing is wrong? Your powers aren't meant to be used like that. Zarm is manipulating you."

"No powers," Water answered softly, lifting her arm so the gauntlet caught the lightning flashing overhead.

Gi looked at her, confused. "You don't want to use powers?"

Water shook her head slowly and tried again. "No powers until Zarm."

Gi blinked and wiped her eyes, still clutching Captain Planet with one arm. "You're not a Planeteer?" she asked. "Your powers aren't magnified? Did you have powers at all before Zarm came along?"

"Zarm created Water," she confirmed, touching her chest. "Zarm created all."

Suddenly it all clicked. Suddenly, Gi knew what the others had been on the verge of discovering with the Fire and Wind Planeteers.

"Zarm created _you_?" Gi asked in disbelief. "He didn't just find you and give you the gauntlet? He _created_ you?"

Water gazed back at her for a long moment before she nodded slowly. "I am Water," she whispered. Her voice was wet like rain.

Gi shivered and nodded. "And the others? He drew the Earth Planeteer up from the earth on your planet? And he created Wind from the wind itself?"

Water nodded again.

"What about Heart?" Captain Planet asked, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "How did he create Heart?"

Water tilted her head, looking puzzled. She placed a hand on her chest. "It is logical," she said.

Gi shook her head. "Logic and Heart are different. You can't create Heart like you can create the other elements."

Water shook her head again, her fist across her breast. "It is logical," she said.

Captain Planet leaned down to Gi's ear. "I don't get it," he muttered.

Gi just shook her head, not daring to take her eyes from Water. "Logic isn't what Heart is," she said.

Water looked annoyed. "Enough," she whispered.

Gi could almost feel the waterfall-force of her voice breaking on her skin.

"We fight," Water said, motioning towards Gi.

Gi shook her head in terror. "I can't. I don't have my powers."

"You fight me," Captain Planet said firmly, pushing Gi behind him gently. She peered out from under his arm.

"No," Water said, locking eyes with Gi again. "Water against Water."

Captain Planet shook his head. "I have all of Gi's powers. We're an equal match, you and I. Gi can stay out of it."

There was a horrible sucking sound in the bay, and Gi looked on half in awe and half in fear as the tide drew back and rose in a huge, dirty column of water, sea spray and sand blowing back to the beach.

"I fight her," Water said, pointing at Gi. "Water fights Water. Fire with Fire."

Captain Planet glanced back towards the forest. The column of smoke was almost gone, the wind having torn it apart.

"It's not an equal match," he argued. "Gi is mortal. You're not."

Water opened her mouth to respond, but paused for a moment and tilted her head, listening.

Gi held her breath, until there was another loud _crack_ emitted from the forest. She ducked automatically and turned, but it hadn't come from the direction of the fireballs.

There was no smoke, or any sign that anything had gone wrong, but Gi felt it – a shift in something. Something terrible and irreversible. When she looked up at Captain Planet she saw something strange pass over his face, but she couldn't pin it down. When he looked back at her his face was a careful mask, and that terrified her more than anything.

She felt the blood draining from her face as the weight of that loud noise and the possibilities of its source settled itself in her gut. The silence was deafening. Out of the corner of her eye, through the blurry wall of glass, she could see Gaia standing with her hands to her face.

Something terrible had happened. Gi turned back to Water with wide eyes. The other Planeteer was staring off into the trees. Further down the beach, the fireballs had stopped.

"What is it?" Gi asked softly, tugging at Captain Planet's hand.

He shook his head slowly and half a smile passed over his face, though it disappeared quickly. "Something impossible," he said.

xXx


	18. Consequences

 

"Blight!"

Blight turned at the sound of the Heart Planeteer's voice. "Go and play somewhere else," she said immediately, waving her gun at him.

"You didn't know this was what Zarm wanted, did you?" Ma-Ti asked, keeping himself partly-hidden behind a large clump of rhododendron.

"I don't really care what Zarm wants," Blight answered. "So long as I get what _I_ want, it doesn't matter."

"What _is_ it that you want?" Ma-Ti asked impatiently. He glanced to the rumbling sky, which was thick with cloud and smoke.

Blight paused for a moment. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted. She shook her head and raised the gun towards Ma-Ti. "You think anyone will care what I do when Zarm takes over?" she asked. "I can get away with anything. There won't be any consequences if I unleash a new virus or if I flatten a major city with the single press of a button."

She smirked as she watched the Heart Planeteer's obvious discomfort.

"What's the point?" he asked finally. "Why would you want to do any of that?"

She shrugged. "Because I _can._ Because I want to see if it's _possible._ "

"Regardless of the consequences," Ma-Ti finished coldly.

She smiled. "Uh-huh."

Ma-Ti just shook his head, staring at her. She watched him carefully, keeping her gun half-raised. For a moment a large, spidery vein of lightning ran across the sky behind him, gleaming off the peaks of crystal that rose high above and silhouetting the Heart Planeteer in ghostly light.

Something else caught Blight's attention as the sky lit up in front of her. He had been standing rock-still, watching, but as the sky had split he'd moved forwards slightly and she'd glimpsed him.

She gasped and immediately swung the gun around, automatically blurting a warning she instantly regretted. "Look out!"

Ma-Ti ducked and Blight fired the gun. Zarm's Planeteer – whichever one it was, ducked away into the rambling vines and wildflowers that bordered the path.

Ma-Ti's heart hammered loudly. He looked up at Blight with wide eyes. "What was it?"

Blight shook her head and looked around, peering into the shadows of the forest. Something in her gut told her that Zarm's Planeteer wasn't to be trusted. Instinct had led Blight through a lot of narrow escapes and she wasn't about to ignore it now. Instinct suddenly told her she was safer with Gaia's wretched Heart Planeteer than she was with any of Zarm's creations.

"You can't hurt me!" she called into the forest, glancing around nervously. "I'm on your side!"

"I don't think that matters to him," Ma-Ti said nervously, scrambling to his feet again.

"Damn it," Blight hissed. "Where's Zarm?"

"On the beach with Gaia," Ma-Ti answered. "Can he stop them?"

Blight thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I don't think they'll listen to him. They seem more intent on displaying the force of their powers..."

"Oh," Ma-Ti answered, his heart sinking.

Blight looked down at the gun in her hand. "This is programmed to destroy him."

"Will it work on those Planeteers?" Ma-Ti asked, watching the forest nervously. He could feel Earth standing nearby, but he couldn't see him.

"At the very least it'll hurt 'em," Blight answered harshly, glaring into the overgrown tangle of vines and flowers at the edge of the path. "Come out and fight!" she screamed after a moment. "If you want me you gotta come get me, you giant planet freak!"

Ma-Ti felt an awful sense of foreboding before the earth around them erupted. He fell sideways, scrabbling to grab hold of something solid. He looked up in surprise as Blight grabbed his hand and hauled him backwards, free of the tumbling earth that was sinking and rising around him. Trees toppled and were swallowed up by the heaving ground.

Blight dragged Ma-Ti away from the eruption, sweeping the gun around in front of her wildly, trying to find the source of the disturbance.

Earth stepped from the trees with a smile. "Fight," he said.

Blight snarled at him. "You're not supposed to fight me." She looked down at Ma-Ti and dropped his hand as though it were diseased. "Fight him."

Earth motioned towards them both. "Together."

"We're not together!" Blight spat furiously. "I'm on your side!"

Earth smirked. "No."

"He isn't going to listen," Ma-Ti said nervously. "I don't think they're even fighting for Zarm anymore. They're just fighting to destroy..."

"Shut up!" Blight screeched at him.

Earth chuckled and the noise was like a clattering rockslide. "Fight."

"Go to hell!" Blight answered, glaring at him. "I warned Zarm I'd turn against him if I had to save my own hide. Don't think you're invincible here, buddy." She held the gun out in front of her.

Earth smiled slowly and raised his hand.

There was a loud rumble from beneath the ground, and rock and stone suddenly flew upwards from the depths of the earth, splitting and shattering and exploding through the air.

Ma-Ti threw himself to the ground and held his hands over his head.

Blight was flung backwards and she felt a sharp arrow of stone hit her in the upper body, piercing skin and tearing into her lung. She panted desperately and looked down at herself, her fingers trembling against the thin, deadly sliver of rock that held itself deeply in her chest.

She raised her gaze further and met the strange Earth Planeteer's eyes. For a moment she reflected on how she had come to be there, on the ground in front of him. Maybe it had been a mistake, after all. Maybe Plunder had been right. Maybe she should have thought more about the consequences of her actions.

Earth smirked down at her and his breath thudded through the air like crashing rock. "The end," he said.

Blight narrowed her gaze and raised a trembling hand, the gun clenched tightly in her gloved palm, which was slippery with blood. "Addendum," she gasped, and she squeezed the trigger.

She hit him in the shoulder. There was no time for him to register shock or anger. He simply disappeared with a loud _crack_ which echoed up off the towering crystal peaks on the island. Dust billowed up from where he had been standing, and it smelled hot and burnt until the wind carried it away.

A deathly silence settled.

Blight eased slowly back into the dirt, her blood pooling steadily beneath her. She could feel it welling up in her throat. If she didn't bleed to death first, she'd drown. She frowned up at the sky.

It took her a moment to realise Ma-Ti was there.

He gazed down at her with wide eyes. "Dr. Blight, can you hear me?"

The expression of disgust on her face was enough to tell him yes, she could definitely hear him.

After a moment he reached for her hand, and she let him take it. She grimaced as she realised she had probably saved his life. For a moment or two she wished she'd waited and let Earth kill the stupid Heart Planeteer.

"You saved me," he said after a moment, smiling down at her.

She winced. "Don't remind me. I should probably turn the gun onto you right now and blow you away..."

Ma-Ti eased it out of her bloodied hand. "I need to take it," he said softly. "I need to destroy Zarm and the other Planeteers."

"You won't beat him," she said. "He's too strong." Her voice was wet with blood.

Ma-Ti shook his head. "We're much stronger than you remember us to be, Dr. Blight. I know you wanted a different outcome, but I feel compelled to tell you the Planeteers will be okay."

She gave a short laugh and it failed away into a breathless whimper. "I never did get the full story on the great Planeteer disappearance," she said. "Too bad it's too late now..."

Her breath was wet and heavy, but the grip she returned on Ma-Ti's hand was strong. She gazed up at him as he stroked her hair back quietly from her face and cupped his palm over her brow.

"It will be all right," he told her gently. "We will help you."

It was just words. She knew how much damage had been done. Dr. Blight was a lot of things, but stupid never once came into the mix.

"MAL will self-destruct," she whispered. "He's useless to anyone else..."

Ma-Ti frowned, but nodded. "Do you want me to get a message to him?"

She looked surprised for a moment, but shook her head. "He'll know."

Ma-Ti looked down at the sharp sliver of stone jutting from her chest. Maybe in better circumstances, with more time, with better resources, she would live. But not there. Not that day.

Her face was ghostly-white and her breathing was becoming laboured. "It was worth it," she chuckled, looking past Ma-Ti up to the dark sky. "I did it."

"You're the bane of our existence, Dr. Blight," Ma-Ti agreed softly, stroking her hair.

She gave him a smile of pure exhilaration and satisfaction, her chest rising and falling rapidly, the dreadful impalement twitching with each draw of her lungs. "Tell him," she gasped, "Tell Plunder I was impossible."

Ma-Ti stroked his thumb over her brow gently. "I will."

She nodded and the feverish glitter faded from her eye and her smile as her chest slowly sank. Ma-Ti heard blood bubble softly inside her until the grip of her fingers went limp.

He bent over her and cried.

xXx


	19. Disruptive, Destructive, Desperate

 

Gi ducked behind Captain Planet again.

Ice had started to feature heavily in his tactics against the other Water Planeteer. Whenever she sent another torrent of water at him, he froze it. She'd scream in frustration, her voice like a roaring waterfall, before she'd shatter it all into glittering chips and try again.

"Gi, are you all right?"

She looked up at Captain Planet standing over her, crouched to prevent another attack which could so easily drown her.

"I'm okay," she said.

"You need to go and find the others. Kwame..." He trailed off and started again. "They're in trouble."

"What's wrong with Kwame?" She staggered to her feet quickly, her eyes wide. "Where is he?"

"Follow the glass wall along the beach and cut in through the geo-cruiser's landing pad," Captain Planet says. "Hurry. Be careful."

"What about her?" Gi asked worriedly, watching the Water Planeteer glaring at them both.

Captain Planet shook his head. "We're evenly matched, she and I," he said. "I can keep her back. Don't worry about it."

Gi had a lot of other questions to ask, but she bit them back. She turned and fled towards the forest, hearing the roar of the ocean again as another enormous wave rose up behind her. She heard the scream of frustration from Water as Captain Planet stopped her once again.

It seemed a horrific waste, having him there to battle just one of Zarm's Planeteers.

Gi wondered where the others were and she wondered how her friends were faring as they were forced to fight them alone.

She forced herself to keep running as another tower of flame rose from the forest.

xXx

Ma-Ti didn't lift his head until he heard the roar of flames consuming a wide strip of forest further down the beach.

He sat up immediately, tears drying on his skin. He knew Zarm's Fire Planeteer was chasing his friends through the forest. He clenched Blight's gun tightly in his bloodied hand. He glanced down at her body, briefly apologising about having to leave her there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I will take you back to MAL when this is over. I'm sorry it ended this way." He touched her scarred cheek gently before he leapt to his feet and ran into the trees, heading towards the smoke and orange glow.

The forest on Hope Island was lush and green, but the heat of Fire's flames was so intense everything was blackened immediately. Smoke drifted and rose quickly, pushed on by the winds of the storm and the efforts of Zarm's Wind Planeteer.

Ma-Ti wasn't sure how the gun in his hand worked. He had an idea Blight had kept it as some sort of security against Zarm, but evidently it worked on his Planeteers as well. Maybe there was enough of Zarm inside them for the gun to work the same way against them as it would against the spirit.

He felt dreadful anxiety and despair rising up inside him. He didn't want to destroy the other Planeteers. It wasn't their fault. He had watched his own friends fall victim to the same idea; the same ploy.

Ma-Ti was not a destructive person. But he knew, in his own mind and heart, that Zarm's Planeteers would not be reasoned with. They didn't seem to have the capacity or communication skills. They were made of something deep and raw and primitive.

"It is the only way," Ma-Ti sobbed to himself as he ran along. "I must do it. I must destroy them or they will destroy us. I have no choice..."

Still, tears ran down his face as he realised it had boiled down to a matter of life or death. He supposed it had always been marked out that way, but somehow he had been the one left holding the gun. It wasn't a responsibility he wanted.

The smoke was growing thicker, and he could feel the heat of flames somewhere, though it was difficult to tell what was going on. The light was eerie and orange and everywhere.

"Wheeler!" he shouted. "Where are you?"

He listened desperately, but all he could hear was the wind and the thunder above him. It was almost a constant rumble, now. He had almost blocked it out entirely. Now and then there would be a loud _boom_ that jolted each bone in his body and met with a web of lightning across the sky, but for the most part it was low and long, like the sky was constantly growling.

"Wheeler!" Ma-Ti stopped and turned around in a circle. The smoke had disoriented him.

There was a long, loud bellow of hot air. It seemed to race through every inch of the forest like a scream.

Ma-Ti shivered and braced himself, Dr. Blight's gun clenched tightly in his bloodied palm.

xXx

Gaia felt torn and weak. She watched another strip of Hope Island's forest go up in a mighty roar of flame and felt the burn and death of it all race down the side of her body.

She let out a sharp breath and bent over a little.

Zarm snickered. "Feeling old, Gaia?"

"You know as well as I do we're on very equal terms right now," she answered angrily. "Dr. Blight destroyed your Earth Planeteer before she died. That's evened things up..."

"I have three others," Zarm answered airily.

Gaia ran her hand through her hair. She could feel sweat beading on her skin. That was never a good sign.

"You don't count the Heart Planeteer," she said after a moment.

"Why should I? He has no real power," Zarm drawled. "I just needed to make up the numbers. I took a piece from the other Planeteers and moulded him together. I'd hoped he'd have all of their powers combined like a little mutated Captain Planet, but it wasn't to be."

"What a pity," Gaia answered breathlessly.

Zarm chuckled. "I thought so. He does make a very handy vessel for me, however." He watched the smoke rising from the forest in amusement. "Your Earth Planeteer is hurt."

Gaia nodded silently. She thought again about making a move against Zarm, but she couldn't afford the risk. She didn't think she could do it alone, anymore. One false move and everything would be over. Zarm would win.

She bent over again, breathing deeply as Hope Island burned and ruptured in front of her. She felt another ache start low in her back, but this had more to do with Kwame, injured in the forest, and Ma-Ti, about to face a choice she never wanted forced upon him.

She took a risk. She used valuable energy to send one bright, beautiful thought to the five special young people she had first summoned so many years ago.

 _You can do it, Planeteers._

xXx

Ma-Ti glimpsed shadows staggering from the smoke. For a moment his heart stopped and he tightened his fingers around the gun, but then the shapes took on the forms of something familiar.

Wheeler and Linka – and Kwame, though he was leaning heavily on Wheeler's shoulder. Blood drenched his side. They all looked pale and breathless and afraid.

"What happened?" Ma-Ti asked, hearing the panic in his own voice.

Linka had tears streaming down her face, leaving clean tracks on her soot-dusted skin. "They are so strong, Ma-Ti. They..." She trailed off and her eyes widened. "You are hurt..."

He looked down and realised he too was covered in blood. He shook his head. "I'm okay," he said quickly. "Where are Fire and Wind?"

"Behind us," Wheeler panted, easing Kwame down to the ground. "Now and then they stop and try to fight one another. It's slowing 'em down somewhat."

Ma-Ti nodded and knelt beside Kwame. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

 _Please don't let me kneel here and watch a second person die. Not Kwame. Please not Kwame._

"I am not sure," Kwame answered. His voice was shaking and he looked faint. "I was hit with something. There are explosions. Trees and rock... The heat is too much."

Ma-Ti wiped sweat from the Earth Planeteer's forehead. "It will be over soon," he murmured comfortingly. "I have Blight's gun. It can destroy Zarm's Planeteers."

"I dunno, man," Wheeler answered, sounding uncharacteristically afraid. "It's like these Planeteers are playing games with us. Like they know we've got no chance."

"There is _always_ a chance," Ma-Ti said firmly. "It is always worth trying."

Suddenly he understood Blight's philosophy a little better. The end result rarely mattered, really. What mattered was that you tried.

Pounding footsteps made them all look up. Gi burst through the smoke and saw them as she was almost on top of them – she skidded to a halt, sliding painfully into Wheeler in a tumble of arms and legs.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly, hauling her up into a sitting position.

She choked and nodded. "What's going on?"

"Where is Captain Planet?" Kwame asked, looking up at her from his position on the ground.

Gi's eyes widened at the sight of his blood-soaked t-shirt. She stammered silently for a moment and then forced herself to focus on his question. "He's fighting the Water Planeteer," she said. "He says they're equally matched and he can keep her at bay. I guess it's up to us to stop the others."

"Earth has already been destroyed," Ma-Ti said, holding Blight's gun up. "Blight shot him."

"She did?" Wheeler asked in amazement. "Where is she now?"

Ma-Ti hesitated, but there was no getting around it. "She is dead."

Wheeler's eyes widened. A stunned silence settled over them all.

Linka reached trembling fingers out to touch Ma-Ti's blood-crusted hand. "Are you all right, Ma-Ti?"

He swallowed and nodded. "She saved me. I do not want her to have died in vain."

Kwame reached for him and Ma-Ti took his hand. "We can do this," the Earth Planeteer breathed.

At the same time, a wonderfully warm familiar voice swept through the trees, breathing from the earth and sky around Hope Island itself: _You can do it, Planeteers._

Gaia.

Gi looked around at her friends and wiped her eyes. "We can, right? We can do it."

Ma-Ti nodded. "The sooner the better. Gaia is getting weak and after we destroy Zarm's Planeteers, he will still force her to fight him."

Wheeler raked a hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end. "Let's get this over with," he said. "Let's finish it."

"I will stay here with Kwame," Linka said, her thumb stroking soothingly over Kwame's forehead. "Will you all be okay?"

"We've got the gun, Linka. And we have each other. We'll be okay." Ma-Ti gave her a brave smile and squeezed Kwame's hand as he staggered to his feet. "Stay hidden. If they get past us, it means we... It means the gun has not worked."

Kwame nodded and Ma-Ti got to his feet and walked into the smoke, waiting as a vague shadow for Wheeler and Gi to join him.

Wheeler helped Gi to her feet. "Ready?"

She nodded and looked down at Linka, feeling quivery and tearful. "It'll be okay, right?" she asked.

Linka gave her a small smile. " _Da_ , we will all be okay." She glanced from Wheeler to Gi and back again and gave them a shaky smile. "Look after one another."

Gi nodded and stumbled backwards after Ma-Ti. "We'll be back," she promised. "We won't be long."

"We know, Gi," Kwame answered calmly, smiling at her. "We will be waiting right here."

Wheeler knelt and kissed Linka hard. "I'll be back soon," he promised.

She grabbed the front of his t-shirt and pressed another kiss against him. "Remember," she said breathlessly, "I said I would never kiss you goodbye again. So you must come back, _pahnyaht?_ "

"Got it," he whispered, grinning at her. He kissed her again, taking one last look into her pretty green eyes, before he turned and ran after the others.

Linka watched the three Planeteers disappear into the smoke before she leaned over Kwame, pressing her hands onto the wound in his side. "Are you all right, Kwame?"

He felt dizzy and faint. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened to him – there had been so many explosions and dead ends before... He may have fallen on something, or something may have hit him. It didn't matter what had happened. It had happened, and they had to deal with it.

"I will be all right," he answered tiredly, smiling up at the blonde leaning over him. "We will all be all right."

She gave an odd chuckle and her eyes were bright with tears. "We have all said that so many times... I am starting to wish we could see a little proof."

"The proof is everywhere," he answered tiredly. "During our last mission we fell apart and we all split. During this mission we have come together. Have you not felt it, Linka? It is different..." He gave her a weary smile. "We have each other. I am sure that is all we need."

She stroked his forehead and smiled down at him. "I think you are right," she agreed softly.

xXx

"Had enough?" Captain Planet asked cheerfully.

Water looked furious and exhausted. She glared at him.

"He told you to fight Gi, right?" Captain Planet asked, inclining his head towards Zarm, who was still standing beside Gaia on the beach.

Water glanced towards Zarm and nodded.

"He didn't tell you it'd be so hard, did he?" Captain Planet asked with a grin.

Water tilted her head and pointed towards the forest. "She is weak."

Captain Planet grinned again and shook his head. "No she isn't. _She_ might think she's weak sometimes, but she isn't. Everyone has the potential to be weak, but the Planeteers are strong. And getting stronger. Why do you think I'm doing so well?"

"I would beat her," Water said, pointing again.

"No you wouldn't," Captain Planet said.

Water glared at him and he chuckled and shrugged.

"We can keep going, if you want," he said. "But you're not going to win. Sorry. Zarm lied to you. Earth has already been destroyed and if my Planeteers are right about things – and I think they are – Wind and Fire are going to follow soon. It's only a matter of time before they come back out onto the beach to finish you off too."

He could see Water thinking carefully about this.

"You really want to show a display of strength?" Captain Planet asked in a low voice, stepping nearer to her.

She cocked her ear towards him.

"Stand up to Zarm," he said. "He underestimates you all as well. He hasn't even bothered to let the Heart Planeteer try out his powers. Zarm thinks he's useless."

Water snarled and the water in the bay swirled and tossed angrily.

"Zarm is weak," Captain Planet said. "He's hiding inside the Planeteer with the most power."

"Heart is weak!" Water spat angrily.

"Prove it," Captain Planet challenged. "Destroy him."

He felt rather foolish using such a tactic. He wasn't entirely sure it would work. And if it _did_ work, then he cursed himself for trying to use it so late. These things, whatever they were, acted on impulse and challenge; something Zarm had figured he could use to his advantage.

Zarm was powerful; there was no doubt about it. He had the ability to manipulate people and situations like he was simply playing chess, moving pieces from one square to another to knock someone down.

But these things – these Planeteers – did not work that way. Just like they wouldn't listen to Ma-Ti or Gi when they tried to reason with them, they would not listen to Zarm for very long when he gave them orders, either. They were disruptive and destructive and desperate to cause as much damage as possible. It didn't matter who directed them to do it or who got injured in the final result.

Captain Planet knew it had worked when Water turned away from him and began to walk slowly along the beach towards Zarm and Gaia. He flew ahead, overtaking her, and swept Gaia up into his arms, carrying her away. He heard Zarm give a shout, but Water soon distracted him with a spout of water from the rolling ocean.

"You okay?" Captain Planet asked, setting Gaia down on her feet a short distance away.

"What are you doing?" she asked groggily, holding a hand to her head.

Captain Planet just shook his head, keeping hold of Gaia as Zarm furiously shouted at Water, urging her to turn her destructive powers towards the others.

"He's lost control," Gaia murmured.

"I don't think he ever had it in the first place," Captain Planet answered.

"He created those things, whatever they are," Gaia said. "He calls them Planeteers, but they couldn't be further from it... He thought only about the power, not the personality."

"How bad does it look, Gaia?" Captain Planet asked anxiously.

Gaia watched with bated breath as Zarm waved his arms again, slicing through a wave of water that had been threatening to swamp him.

"Not good," she admitted after a moment. "I'm not feeling very well..."

"Ah," Captain Planet said, waving his hand. "You still look like a million dollars." He grinned at her and she gave him a look of exasperation.

"Blight evened things up," she said after a moment.

Captain Planet nodded. "Just when I think I've got her all figured out, she goes and does something like that. I thought Ma-Ti was..." He shook his head. "I thought he was finished."

Gaia shivered and rubbed her forehead. "Wind and Fire are doing enough damage by themselves," she said.

"They'll be stopped," Captain Planet said confidently.

Gaia nodded and looked towards the forest. "Go and find Kwame," she said softly. "Bring him to me before I lose the strength to heal him."

"You're okay here?" Captain Planet asked.

She nodded and he squeezed her shoulder for a moment before he flew towards the smoking jungle.

xXx

"I created you!" Zarm bellowed furiously. "Why are you listening to anyone but me?"

Water just snarled in response and sent another jet of water at him. At the last minute it spiked into ice, and it would have plunged through the chest of the Heart Planeteer if Zarm hadn't shattered it within a split second of impact.

He cursed and glared back at Gaia, who was watching on carefully.

"Damn you and your eco idiots!" he roared.

He turned back to Water and sent a quick, hot ball of energy at her. It hit her immediately and she burst apart in a silver mist of rain and fog, which floated away and fell to the beach, sifted apart by the wind. The sharp sound of her destruction echoed across the sky.

Zarm growled and turned towards Gaia, furious that he had been forced to destroy one of the key members of his army.

"You'll pay for that," he hissed. "You and your damn Planeteers."

xXx

"Go for Fire first," Wheeler whispered loudly in Ma-Ti's ear. "I don't fancy being barbequed."

Ma-Ti nodded. He could feel his temples throbbing and sweat poured down his skin. Around them, the forest was charred and smoking. Logs popped and exploded with the heat and now and then a tree would topple and smash into the ground in a glittering display of embers and sparks.

In amongst the debris, apparently unaffected by the heat or the flames, Fire and Wind were furiously continuing their competition to see which of them was more powerful.

Wind gave a shriek that carried high over the sky, and there was a force of air that blew across the ground, forcing the trees apart and blowing dust and debris further into the jungle. There was loud clatter and the sound of breaking timber and glass.

"I think that was Kwame's hut," Gi whispered, huddled between Ma-Ti and Wheeler. "We need to get closer."

Ma-Ti nodded in agreement. "I don't want to miss."

They crept forward silently, sticking to the edge of the burned-out forest, using the remaining shrubs and trees for cover. The smoke acted as a shield to hide them, but it also made things difficult. Breathing was laborious and the smoke and dust made their eyes water. Several times they had to stop and clap hands over their mouths to stop themselves choking.

Wind sent another gale through the forest, flattening trees and spurring the flames further onwards. The forest was a lot thinner than it had been hours previously. Through the smashed trees, Wheeler could see his own hut burning furiously.

Fire followed the destructive path with a towering wall of flame, eating up the destruction Wind had left behind.

"More," he urged.

She glared at him, her hair drifting about her face in the wind.

Gi's voice was soft in Wheeler's ear. "You and Linka used to bicker all the time, too."

He shot her a look, but grinned. "Uh-huh." He paused for a moment. "We used to stop gun wars between gangs, too..." He glanced down to the gun in Ma-Ti's hand. "Does this feel oddly ironic to anyone else?"

Ma-Ti gave a grim smile as he looked down at the gun in his hand. "I suppose the other Planeteers are the Clayton to our Main Dog?" he asked.

Gi shivered and closed her eyes. "Please, let's not," she whispered. "Let's just get this over with."

Wheeler wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, nodding to Ma-Ti. "It's all you, little buddy," he said softly. "But we're here, okay?"

Ma-Ti gave him a shaky smile and turned his attention to Wind and Fire. He paused for a moment and took a breath, feeling tearful. "It is the only way," he breathed. "It is the only way."

He raised his hand slowly. It shook and he bit his lip, taking a moment to steady himself before he carefully squeezed the trigger.

xXx

Captain Planet lifted Kwame gently.

"He has lost so much blood," Linka said tearfully, her hands knotted anxiously in front of her.

"I'll take him to Gaia," Captain Planet said. "He'll be okay. Are you coming with me or following the others?"

Linka looked towards the forest and shivered. "I will find the others," she said, though fear sat deep in her voice.

Captain Planet touched the top of her head gently before he flew Kwame away towards the beach.

Linka ran into the forest, squinting through the smoke and trying desperately not to choke.

There was a loud _crack_ – the third in an hour. She knew by now it signalled the end of one of the other Planeteers. First Earth, then Water.

A loud, anguished howl rang out through the forest, causing Linka to drop dizzily to her knees. Rage and grief poured through the forest, mingling with the smoke.

Linka slumped further to the ground, breathing heavily. Wind.

 _Fire has been destroyed,_ Linka thought, trying to sort her tumbling thoughts into something linear. _Maybe in the other Planeteers' universe, Wind cares for Fire too..._

Linka heard the wind before it hit. The remaining upstanding trees toppled immediately, snapping at their bases and crashing to the ground. One toppled and fell dangerously close to Linka. She felt the ground vibrate and she felt palm leaves lash into her back as she lay upon the ground.

 _Get up,_ she thought furiously. _Something has gone wrong. There should have been two noises to indicate the destruction of two Planeteers. Get up, get up._

 _Something has gone wrong._

xXx

The other Fire Planeteer had exploded in a glory of smoke and sparks, the noise of his disappearance echoing through the forest.

Ma-Ti hadn't had time to aim the gun towards Wind before she'd screamed a loud howl through the forest. The noise of it sent them all sagging to the ground.

"Oh, man..." Wheeler clutched his head and sank into the dirt. The world spun dizzily in front of him and he closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

Gi gasped and looked up towards the Wind Planeteer. She was searching furiously through the debris – either for the Fire Planeteer, or whatever had destroyed him. After a moment she threw her arms outwards, and the force of air that flew from her flattened the forest and blew dust and ash up in a huge cloud. Trees split and fell heavily, and shrubs and flowers were torn up and forced away, spinning and tumbling across the ground in a rough tangle.

"Ma-Ti, hurry," Gi begged. "Before she spots us."

Ma-Ti's hand was shaking terribly. He clutched the gun in both hands, holding it out in front of him and trying to convince himself it was all just one of Wheeler's stupid video games.

He had never been very good at them.

The shot went wide and hit a burning stump, shattering it in another explosion of sparks.

Wind turned and looked at the crater left by the gun's ray. A low growl started in her throat.

On the ground, Wheeler shivered, his eyes still closed. Gi shook him gently and twined her fingers into his hair, staying down close to him. "Are you okay?" she whispered loudly.

He shivered again and gave a soft moan.

Ma-Ti hurriedly wiped his sweaty palms on his t-shirt and pointed the gun through the smoke again. The wind had stirred up smoke and ash and visibility was poor. He squinted, fighting back the urge to choke and cough. His eyes watered and left clear streams down his ash-dusted cheeks.

He fired, and this time his aim was true. There was a loud _crack_ , and the dust spiralled up in a violent flurry as the other Wind Planeteer disappeared.

Gi burst into relieved tears and reached for him, wrapping her free arm around his shoulders, keeping hold of Wheeler with her other hand. "You did it," she sobbed. "It's almost over..."

Ma-Ti sagged against her and nodded, feeling sick. "We need to get to the beach," he said. "Zarm and Gaia..."

Linka staggered into their clearing, sweating heavily. "Are you all right?"

Wheeler stirred at the sound of her voice and looked up at her. "Where's Kwame?" he asked groggily.

"Captain Planet took him." She knelt by him and touched his forehead. "Is something wrong?"

He sat up slowly and rubbed his face, hanging onto her so he didn't fall back again. "I'm okay."

"Come on," Ma-Ti said, struggling to his feet. "Gaia might need our help."

xXx

The blood on Kwame's t-shirt was slowly drying and sticking to him. He still felt dizzy, but the bleeding had stopped. He had a vague recollection of Gaia leaning over him before there was a deep, rather uncomfortable warmth over the wound in his side, but he wasn't completely sure how much he had imagined and how much had actually happened.

Captain Planet had ordered him to stay at the edge of the beach, by the smoking forest, partly sheltered by the wilted ferns and palm leaves.

"Kwame!"

He jumped as Gi's hand landed on his shoulder and she hugged him tightly.

"What's going on?" Wheeler asked.

Kwame looked at him. He looked as terrible as Kwame felt. The Earth Planeteer shook his head and motioned towards Gaia, Captain Planet and Zarm, the three of them standing near the waves on the beach. "I am not sure."

The other Planeteers sank down beside him, anxiety settling over them like a blanket.

The storm was electric overhead, crackling and flashing frequently. The air had grown decidedly cooler, and the ocean was steely grey and rough, roaring and smashing into the sand, tearing at it and causing the beach to crumble.

"This is it," Linka said tearfully. "What if we went through all of that only to see Zarm win?"

"He won't," Wheeler said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. His voice shook.

The Planeteers watched nervously, their eyes wide and focused on Gaia. They did their best to silently support her, focusing all their remaining energy on her and hoping she could somehow gain from it.

Gaia glanced quickly at her Planeteers and was relieved to see them at a relatively safe distance. She wasn't sure how much time was left before Zarm acted, and she didn't want any of them to be hurt.

"I suppose this is it, then," Zarm drawled, sounding almost bored.

"Your Planeteers have all been destroyed, Zarm," Gaia said, trying to stand tall despite the aches throughout her body. "I will give you a chance to leave now, unharmed."

He scoffed. "If that line didn't work on _you_ earlier, why do you think it will work on _me_ now?"

Gaia just shook her head. "So you're willing to face total destruction?"

"I'm willing to risk it, yes," he answered slyly. "I think I have a good chance of besting you, Gaia."

Captain Planet scoffed, but stayed silently, standing beside Gaia and glaring at Zarm, who was still hidden within the other Heart Planeteer's body.

"Maybe you shouldn't have put so much energy into that storm," Gaia said, motioning around briefly.

Zarm scowled, using the Heart Planeteer's face. "I'm younger than you. I have more energy."

She chuckled. "We'll see. I have things on my side you certainly don't have on yours."

"Oh, yes," Zarm said sarcastically, "A pollution-sensitive super-hero and five damaged and overly-emotional humanitarians. I'm shaking in my glorious boots."

The Planeteers watched on nervously, unable to hear anything over the roaring of the waves, which continued to pound up against the beach.

When it happened, it happened fast.

Zarm seemed to move very quickly. For a moment his limbs appeared as extra ghosts to the body of the other Heart Planeteer, who was physically too slow for Zarm's movements.

Gaia simply reached for Captain Planet's hand.

Ma-Ti took a breath as a long, terrible beat of silence passed over everything.

Then there was a loud crack, like a tree splitting or a rock exploding, and a flash of light that momentarily blinded the Planeteers standing on the sidelines. They felt the shockwave of whatever had happened pass across them, thudding into them and forcing them down. The glass on the beach shattered and the waves rolling in towards the shore blew apart. The sand around Gaia and Captain Planet flew up and left a giant crater on the beach.

The Planeteers staggered upright again, looking on anxiously and trying to figure out what had just happened. Over the roar of the sea, it had been hard to tell what Gaia and Captain Planet were doing.

"Zarm has gone," Linka said softly, disbelief and hope creeping into her voice.

The others glanced around and saw that she was right.

Heart had been destroyed and with him, apparently, Zarm. The sea almost immediately turned a clear, rolling blue, and the atmosphere changed instantly to one that felt safe and calm. The thunder rolled and died away.

It was over. Zarm had been defeated.

But Captain Planet had fallen to his knees, and Gaia knelt beside him gently, leaning over him as he sank to the ground, her hand on his forehead.

"Oh my God," Gi whimpered, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my God."

It looked like victory had come at a terrible price.

xXx


	20. Death and Recovery

 

Ma-Ti reached Captain Planet and Gaia first, but Linka wasn't far behind him. She skidded to her knees, her heart in her throat.

"What is wrong with him?" she asked, feeling completely panicked. She took Captain Planet's hand and squeezed his limp fingers gently.

Gaia stroked his hair and sat back on her heels. "I had to combine my strength with his," she said after a moment. "I wasn't sure what would happen."

"Will he be all right?" Gi asked, breathing heavily and sinking into the sand beside Linka.

Wheeler approached slowly, half-supporting Kwame, who still looked weak.

Gaia stroked Captain Planet's hair again, but didn't answer.

"Gaia?" Ma-Ti's voice was small. "He'll be okay, won't he? He just needs to recharge..." He looked up at the sky. The clouds had gone, but smoke still drifted as a haze above Hope Island. The sun seemed terribly far away and terribly useless.

"Captain Planet is more..." Gaia sighed and shook her head. "More solid than I am – for lack of a better word. I am okay, here. Hope Island can't hurt me, but all that power hitting the Earth here... It struck him. When it hit me I could push it back into Hope Island but he couldn't – he got stuck with it."

"How does he get rid of it?" Linka asked, still clutching Captain Planet's hand.

Gaia shook her head, looking worried. "I don't know. I'm not sure he'll be able to."

They all felt panic strike their chests immediately.

"But he can't," Gi sobbed, "It's not supposed to end like this."

Linka put an arm around Gi's shoulders and Gi sobbed against her, shaking with each breath.

They all sat by Captain Planet as the smoke on the island climbed higher and thinned out. The sun burned orange, high above, creeping slowly across the sky until it began to drop towards the ocean.

The sky was turning red with smoke and the setting sun when Wheeler spoke.

"Gaia, what if he doesn't wake up? What if he just stays like this forever? Not actually... you know." He shifted uncomfortably.

Gaia looked uncomfortable as well. "I don't know, Wheeler."

Ma-Ti gave a faint smile. "Remember when Blight and Nukem took Captain Planet hostage in Antarctica? We waited for him to recharge. Just like this."

Small smiles appeared on their faces.

"We have waited like this a lot of times," Kwame agreed. "He is amazing, but not very good at avoiding missiles of radiation or toxic waste."

Gi gave a slight giggle. "Usually because he's too busy telling jokes."

"Or showing off his acrobatics," Ma-Ti said.

Linka joined Gi's soft giggling. "Sometimes he back-flips right into the path of danger."

Wheeler gave a laugh. "Remember when he was bragging about Sludge's poor aim, and then Sludge got him in the chest with that toxic waste gun?"

"Wasn't that Greedly?" Gi asked.

"It was both of them, on separate occasions," Kwame said.

They all started to laugh.

Gaia smiled down at Captain Planet as the jokes and memories flew rapidly between the Planeteers. "Are you listening to this?"

"All that effort to fight back," he croaked, "And they're laughing at me."

"He's awake!" Gi shrieked.

"It's about time you noticed," he said, blinking tiredly.

They helped him sit up. He was heavy and limp.

Gaia took his hand. "You need to go and recharge," she said, "right now."

"Yeah," he agreed, leaning against her heavily. He looked around at the Planeteers, and then at the crater that had been blown in the sand after Zarm's destruction.

"I had a real blast, Planeteers," he murmured, closing his eyes.

"Oh, he's fine," Wheeler said in mock disgust. "We worried for nothing."

Captain Planet gave a tired grin. "Don't stop being the Planeteers, Planeteers," he said. "Everything will be okay if you keep remembering the good things." He gazed around at them all and gave another smile. "It's good to have you back," he murmured. "I'm gonna need some time to recover from this, but don't leave me behind for another ten years."

"We won't," Gi promised.

Captain Planet grinned at her and gave her a wink. "I trust you."

Gi smiled at him.

"Go on," Gaia prompted him, sounding rather stern now. "You need to recharge."

He nodded in agreement. "You too," he said. "Take care of one another, Planeteers."

"We will," Kwame said.

Captain Planet nodded again and gave a smile. "The power is yours."

They watched him go, and looked down at their Planeteer rings as they flared with light.

"What happened?" Ma-Ti asked curiously. "Did he fight the negative energy away himself, or did you help him, Gaia?"

"I didn't help him," Gaia answered. She smiled at her Planeteers. "He just couldn't come back until all the connections were strong enough to pull him through."

Ma-Ti smiled knowingly and looked around at his friends. He could feel it, too. Strength, healing and happiness sparked between them all, and it had been enough to drag all of them, including Captain Planet, back into what they had held so many years before.

xXx

The Crystal Chamber was in ruins. The Planet Vision screen was cracked and blackened, and the roof still lay scattered in smouldering heaps around the floor – though most of it had burned away completely.

"All our huts have been destroyed, too," Gi said in dismay, looking around. The forest was bare and torn, and the Planeteers' sleeping quarters were nowhere to be seen through the smoking wreckage of broken palms and tropical flowers.

"It may take a while before I'm strong enough to replace everything that was ruined," Gaia said, looking around.

"Don't worry about it, Gaia," Wheeler answered. He clapped a hand on Kwame's shoulder and grinned. "We've got a guy who's pretty good in construction, I think."

Kwame smiled at him and glanced around. "We will fix it all," he agreed. "It will not take long if we all work together."

"Where are we going to sleep?" Linka asked.

Wheeler looked around at the destroyed Crystal Chamber. "Not here," he muttered.

"The Deck survived everything, I think," Kwame said. "It is further down the beach... We could sleep there until we get everything fixed."

"That sounds okay," Gi answered. Suddenly she felt very tired. The scale of everything they had faced over the past few days finally hit her, and she found herself wanting to curl into a ball and sleep for a week.

"Hey, Gaia, why did Earth go after Ma-Ti and Dr. Blight?" Wheeler asked suddenly. His brow was furrowed. "Kwame was with Linka and I. Fire and Wind both came after us, and Water tried to fight Gi, but Earth didn't bother chasing Kwame at all."

Gaia gave a small smile. "You all saw how well they followed instruction," she said. "Following such an orderly pattern didn't appeal to them, after a while. Chaos was what they wanted. Earth sensed Ma-Ti and Blight alone and decided to take advantage. Don't try to put too much analysis to their movements and decisions, Wheeler. They moved on impulse, but even so, they were built different to anything we're familiar with. Their desires and enjoyments were different to anything we could compare it to or predict."

"Dr. Blight is still in the forest," Ma-Ti said quietly. "What should we do?"

Wheeler bit his tongue and Linka gave him a warning look, as though predicting his opinion.

"She would not want to be buried here," Linka said. "Perhaps we should give her to MAL. The jet is still behind The Crystal Chamber. I am sure he is still there..."

Ma-Ti left immediately, feeling the need to put Dr. Blight to rest and make sure she was at peace. His feelings about her were suddenly incredibly complicated, and he wanted to make sure she was taken care of, even in death.

xXx

Ma-Ti approached the jet cautiously. He had a feeling MAL's self-destruction sequence could easily take out a small island like the one he was standing on. He had no desire to trigger it.

"MAL?" He crept aboard carefully. "I need to talk to you about Dr. Blight."

MAL's face appeared on the screen in front of him. He looked passive and Ma-Ti had a feeling he already knew what had happened to Blight.

"Where is she?" he asked stiffly.

Ma-Ti laced his fingers together and looked down at his hands. "In the forest."

"Bring her to me."

Ma-Ti nodded and jumped back down to the sand, relieved that the conversation had been so terse and brief. Death, no matter who He took, was not a friend to Ma-Ti, and he had no desire to spend time talking about Him.

xXx

Ma-Ti had removed the sliver of stone from Blight's chest before carefully laying her out on the floor of the jet. MAL watched closely but offered no instruction or comment on whether or not Ma-Ti was doing the right thing.

Ma-Ti wasn't sure it mattered. He supposed MAL could always retreat to the more basic aspects of his program. Emotions were complex enough, without the added complication of having them physically built into your personality by someone else.

"She was very brave," Ma-Ti offered, standing awkwardly by the door. He didn't feel he could leave until he had defended Blight somehow. He was struck by how odd this was and he didn't expect anyone else to understand, but MAL nodded.

"I expect she was," he said, looking down at her still form. Ma-Ti wished he had cleaned the blood away.

"If you want to stay..." Ma-Ti trailed off. "I mean, I can't promise Linka won't reprogram you a bit, but –"

"No," MAL answered swiftly. "I'm going to take the jet, now. We're leaving."

Ma-Ti nodded, but hesitated a moment longer. "I'm sorry, MAL," he said. "We didn't want her to be hurt."

"Something was bound to backfire on her at some point," MAL answered quietly. "It never mattered. It was the thrill of the chase, not the consequences that followed."

"I'm sorry," Ma-Ti said again.

MAL looked back at him with a hard, direct stare. "I could take out this entire island with one blow," he said.

Ma-Ti swallowed and nodded.

"I won't," he said after a moment, turning his attention back to Blight's body on the floor. "That just wasn't her way of doing things. I don't want to end with something she'd disapprove of."

"I'm glad," Ma-Ti said, his voice sounding a little strangled. He cleared his throat softly. "Uh, I – I need your help with something."

MAL gave him a glare, but Ma-Ti pressed on hurriedly.

"She wanted me to give a message to Plunder," he stammered, "But The Crystal Chamber is in ruins and I'm not sure how else I can reach him..." He looked down at his hands, before he put them behind his back in an effort to hide the blood still covering them.

MAL was silent for a long moment before he disappeared from the monitor. His voice remained, but it was terse and uncomfortable. "I'll patch you through to him."

"Thank you," Ma-Ti answered, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other.

Plunder's face flickered for a moment before the image became solid. He was settling himself into his chair.

"What do you want now?" he asked impatiently, looking up at the screen. His impression changed when he realised it was Ma-Ti in front of him, not Blight. He sneered. "Well, look who it is."

Ma-Ti sighed and shifted his weight again, wondering how on Earth he was supposed to break the news. He had no real idea of the relationship between Plunder and Blight. He suspected it was more complicated than he could possibly imagine.

"What do _you_ want?" Plunder asked.

Ma-Ti looked down at his hands again before he stuffed them into his pockets. Then he took them out and held them behind his back again. "It's Blight," he said after a moment. He cleared his throat softly and looked up at Plunder. "She wanted me to tell you she was impossible."

Plunder paused. The sneer gradually faded from his face and he closed his mouth. Ma-Ti watched his long fingers drum slowly against the arm of the chair he was in.

"What do you mean?" Plunder asked after a moment. His voice was very soft, and Ma-Ti knew he already knew what was coming.

"It was one of Zarm's Planeteers," Ma-Ti said, keeping his eyes on Plunder's. He felt truly sorry and he hoped it was showing through. He watched a muscle move in Plunder's jaw as he swallowed carefully.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding annoyed now. "Where is Dr. Blight?"

Ma-Ti forced his eyes to stay locked on the monitor and not dart towards Blight's body on the floor a short distance away. "With MAL," he answered. He paused for a moment. "It was – it was quick," he said. "And she was brave. She saved my life."

Plunder gave a humourless laugh and slumped back in his seat. "Oh, thank goodness," he muttered sarcastically.

Ma-Ti chewed his lip for a moment and pushed his hands back into his pockets, unable to stay still. He was at a loss – comforting people was something that somehow came naturally to him, but with Plunder it was different. Ma-Ti despised him and felt sorry for him all at the same time, and he wasn't entirely sure what Blight had meant to him.

"Anyway," he said after a moment, staring down at the floor in front of him, "She wanted you to know she was impossible. I promised her I'd tell you..."

Plunder slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair, and Ma-Ti jumped as the noise echoed through the speakers on MAL's monitor. "Damn it!" he raged, his voice high-pitched and raw. "You _fucking_ Planeteers! Why the hell couldn't you stay away?"

Ma-Ti kept quiet, though he felt prickles of anger across his skin. He clenched his teeth carefully and fought his desire to argue. It wasn't the Planeteers' fault, after all.

Plunder slumped back in his chair and ran a quivery hand across his forehead. "Where's Zarm?" he asked after a moment.

"Destroyed," Ma-Ti answered.

Plunder ran a finger down his nose and then clasped his hands in front of him, looking down at them. "MAL has Blight?"

"Yes," Ma-Ti answered.

Plunder looked up at him and his eyes were sharp. "She didn't suffer?"

"It was quick," Ma-Ti said. "She had enough time to take out the – the person that hurt her, and give me the message to pass on to you. She was brave."

Plunder nodded and gave a sigh. "Yes," he said. "She was." A wry smile crossed his face and his eyes seemed distant. "Impossibly so."

He leaned forward and flicked the switch on the monitor, and Ma-Ti was left with gently-hissing static.

He wondered if he'd ever see Plunder again. If he'd simply retire away and hide, or if he'd somehow feel the need to fight back against the Planeteers, now that they had been involved in something as traumatic as Blight's death.

MAL's face appeared on the screen again. "Waiting for another favour?" he asked scornfully.

"No," Ma-Ti answered. "I'll go."

"I don't expect I will see you again, Planeteer," MAL said softly. "But you never know. I have visited so many places and I have taken over so many other programs I am sure I could turn up again at some point, even as a shadow."

"I almost hope you do," Ma-Ti answered honestly. "You're Blight's greatest creation."

MAL smirked. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Ma-Ti left, then. The engines rumbled to life and the Heart Planeteer watched until the jet disappeared into the smoky sky.

It would explode hours later, ash and debris drifting down to the surface of the ocean.

Nothing would be salvaged.

xXx

Night had fallen by the time the Planeteers made their way along the beach to The Deck. They had spent the rest of the daylight hours clearing away the smoking rubble of The Crystal Chamber, while Gaia cleared the beach of the glass left behind by Zarm's Fire and Wind Planeteers.

She still looked a little pale and shaky, but she assured the Planeteers she'd feel better within the next couple of days. Already, the forest was starting to show signs of recovery, able to burst forth with new life far more rapidly than any other place on Earth. Greenery crept slowly through the charred stumps and smoking logs in the forest.

Wheeler hung back a little, taking Linka's hand. "Okay?" he asked.

She gave a wry smile. "I am not sure, yet. I am very tired."

"Me too," he agreed. He kissed the top of her head and slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked up the beach together, following the others.

"I am not completely okay," Linka said after a moment. Her breath was rushed and soft. "It will take a lot longer for me to be completely okay with everything that has happened. I think I will recover from Zarm's efforts a lot sooner than I will ever recover from what happened between all of us ten years ago."

Guilt crossed Wheeler's face. "Linka –"

"It is not that I do not trust you," she assured him quietly. "I am sure I can trust the both of you. And I have forgiven you both. I have. But it is still not going to be easy. I am still... cautious." She frowned, not sure that she had explained everything the way she had intended to.

He stopped and kissed her properly. He gave her a small smile. "I know," he answered.

She smiled back at him, though she looked a little ashamed of herself. "It is hard knowing how much Gi loves you," she admitted. "For some reason, it feels as though it should only be me. But that is such a selfish thought..."

"She loves me in an entirely different way to the way you love me," Wheeler answered. He stopped and looked at her. "Right?"

She giggled and looped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. "Right," she agreed. "And you love us both differently." She raised her eyebrow in a rather mocking way. " _Right_ , Yankee?"

"Right," he agreed with a grin. He pressed his forehead gently against hers. "Always have," he said. "But I know how to handle it, now. I think we all know how to deal with _everything_ a lot better than we did when we were younger."

She nodded and they stood together for a moment, holding onto one another and listening to the others settle themselves for sleep a little further on through the dark.

"Come on," Wheeler said tiredly, tugging at her hand again. "Let's get some sleep. We've still got a lot to do, tomorrow."

"And the next day," Linka sighed with a smile. "And many days after that."

xXx


	21. Shadows Will Pass

Linka blinked awake, confused to see the sun was already high in the sky. She stirred slightly, intensely comfortable with Wheeler's arm around her, his beating heart quiet in her ear.

Gi's head rested close against his other shoulder. She was still asleep. Linka watched her quietly for a moment, until she decided she felt no real jealousy or fear against Gi having squirmed closer to Wheeler during the night.

Things seemed to be returning to normal again. Or, at the very least, things seemed to be developing into a new sort of normal. Linka suspected there would be new challenges and jealousies that would rear their heads at some point in their future, but things would be handled better. They would know, next time, to pull together and work things through together, rather than fall victim to impulse and selfishness.

Linka gave a small smile and closed her eyes again, listening to Wheeler's slow, steady breath. She wasn't sure how long it was before he woke, but she felt his fingers curl against her hip, and he hugged her closer. She tilted her head up and kissed the point of his jaw without opening her eyes.

Wheeler looked down at her and then at the top of Gi's head. Her eyes were open and she was chewing her lip.

He hugged them both to him gently. "I had a dream about this once," he said after a moment. "You were both naked and –"

" _Bozhe moy,_ " Linka said, shoving him away.

He laughed and Gi sat up, grinning down at him and wrinkling her nose. They all stretched.

Kwame rolled over and looked at them with a tired smile. "Ready to do some work, Planeteers?"

Linka looked back towards the forest and smiled. "Gaia has been hard at work all night, it seems," she said.

The Planeteers all sat up and looked back towards the forest. Trees had shot up during the night, and though the evidence of Zarm's Planeteers still laid everywhere, smashed and burnt, greenery and tropical flowers clambered messily across the ruins.

Things would recover.

xXx

"Don't hammer my finger," Gi said nervously.

Linka gave a giggle, clutching the hammer. "Be steady, Gi."

"Don't hammer my finger," Gi said again, starting to giggle as well.

Linka grinned at her and took careful aim striking the long nail on the head with perfect accuracy. Gi breathed a sigh of relief and took her hand away, watching Linka strike at the nail until it was embedded deep inside the timber.

The frame of Gi's hut was almost completed. Through the increasingly-thick shrubbery, the girls could hear Kwame and Ma-Ti hammering the frame for Ma-Ti's hut.

"Where did Wheeler go?" Linka asked after a moment, digging another nail out of the pouch on her belt.

"To see Gaia. The Crystal Chamber must be almost finished by now."

The sun was starting to set. Linka could feel it on her skin, and knew she was a little sunburnt. Sweat and dirt was tight against her face, and she felt a pleasant warmth and tiredness that came from working so hard on something so satisfying.

The Planeteers were unable to work as fast as Gaia, but they were determined to rebuild Hope Island themselves. Gaia had provided them with the materials and they had set about building their huts again from the foundations up.

"Did you manage to salvage anything from your hut?" Gi asked after a moment, helping Linka hold the next beam steady.

"Nothing," Linka said regretfully. "It was all charcoal. Most of my things were left behind with Viktor, anyway. The only thing I will really miss is the Queen of Hearts playing card Wheeler gave me all those years ago. I used to take it out and look at it when things became difficult for me."

"You have Wheeler himself now," Gi reasoned, giving her a smile.

Linka smiled back. "And you."

Gi reddened. "Yeah."

Linka chuckled at her embarrassment and focused on hammering the next nail in.

Wheeler appeared through the trees with a grin on his face. "Time to wrap it up for the day, girls," he said.

Gi shot him a look. "There's still plenty of daylight left, you know."

Linka agreed. "Anything to get out of physical labour, hm, Yankee?"

He grabbed her around the waist with a growl and she shrieked and giggled as he tickled her.

"Come on," he said. "I've got a surprise for you."

He walked with them both, his arms around their waists, listening to them talk about what they would have to do the next day in terms of beginning the walls of Gi's hut. Then they would start work on the cabin that would become Wheeler and Linka's.

Linka smiled up at him and he kissed her gently. "Ready for your surprise?" he asked.

"I think so," she answered, looking down at her hands. They were dusty and slightly-blistered. "It is not more hammering, is it?"

"Nope," he answered with a grin. He nodded towards the beach. "You've just got to be an aunt for a little while."

Linka looked down towards the shore in surprise. The water was still murky and full of silt, but it hardly mattered. She gave a cry of joy as she saw Mishka standing on the flat, firm sand by the shallows with his wife and children.

She took off across the beach, a smile wide on her face as she watched him pass one of the boys over to Natalya in preparation for the hug his little sister was about to launch at him.

She leapt at him and wound her arms tight around his neck. He laughed and spun her around quickly, hugging her tightly.

"You promised to call when it was over," he said, narrowing his eyes at her in jest.

She reddened, but the grin never left her face. "Sorry," she said, not sounding it at all. She was too excited to see him.

He laughed and rubbed his hand against the top of her head, causing her to squirm.

"This is Natalya," he said after a moment, stepping back and motioning to his wife.

Linka smiled at her. "It is nice to meet you, Natalya."

"You too, Linka," Natalya answered warmly. "I would give you a hug, but my hands are full..." She hefted her sons slightly.

Linka laughed breathlessly and held her hands out. "May I?"

Natalya passed one of her boys over. "Nikolai," she said with a smile.

Linka kissed her nephew's cheek with quiet reverence, her heart drumming loudly in her chest. He looked up at her with bright blue eyes and smiled, though he wasn't still. He squirmed and thrust his arm towards the ground in an obvious effort to be put down.

"They are almost walking," Mishka said. "They are keeping us on our toes."

Wheeler sauntered up, looking rather proud of himself. He greeted Natalya with a kiss on the cheek and Linka felt a pang of regret as she realised he knew both her and Mishka much better than she seemed to. She shook her head and dismissed the thought. She'd soon catch up to him.

"How did you get here?" she asked Mishka, bouncing the squirming infant in her arms slightly.

"Gaia," Mishka explained. "Wheeler asked her to bring us here once she had enough energy."

Linka smiled and kissed Nikolai again before handing him over to his father. "He does not seem very happy with me," she explained.

"He just wants to get down," Mishka sighed, setting the little boy in the sand. He immediately started curling his fingers into it curiously, raising them to his mouth to taste.

Linka gave a giggle and stopped him.

The other Planeteers wandered down and introduced themselves. Linka watched Kwame as he took Aleksandr into his arms with practiced ease. Though the expression on his face was one of genuine warmth and happiness, she knew he was thinking about Safi. She watched him heft her giggling nephew slightly, and smiled, pleased that children had not become totally absent from Kwame's life.

Wheeler took her hand and they wandered away a little to sit in the sand, watching the others paddling in the shallows or chatting and watching the children crawl about on the sand.

Wheeler stretched out and propped himself up on his elbows. After a moment Linka rested her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you for having Mishka visit," she murmured. "It is a nice surprise."

"He has to work for it," Wheeler said. "I told him he's building us a house tomorrow."

She laughed and nudged him.

He grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. They watched as Ma-Ti chased Gi with a handful of seaweed, until she threatened to swamp him with a tidal wave.

"I told Mishka we'd take him back in the geo-cruiser in a few days, once Gaia has repaired it for us," Wheeler said after a moment.

"Mmhm," Linka agreed tiredly.

"Did you want to stop off and see Viktor?" Wheeler asked hesitantly. "Get any of your things or – or just see him?"

She thought for a moment, her brow furrowed, and then shook her head slowly. "I do not think so," she said. "There is nothing there I want. And there is nothing I want to say to him. No matter how strong I feel or how brave I am, Viktor will not believe it or listen. I will be able to prove nothing to him. I do not want him to tear me down. I have walked away from him and I do not want to go back."

Wheeler hugged her tightly, and the subject was dropped.

Linka smiled as Kwame held Aleksandr just above the thin shallows. The little boy shrieked with laughter, kicking and squirming with delight as the water ran along the sand below him.

Wheeler traced a hand over Linka's waist, letting his fingers slide beneath the material of her t-shirt to sit against her warm skin. "Hey," he said softly in her ear, "if I asked you to marry me one day, would you say yes?"

She looked up at him in surprise and he grinned at her.

She smiled back at him. "Maybe."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "One day I will, then."

She laughed and burrowed her face into his shoulder.

They watched as Gi aimed her ring at the water and attempted to settle the silt and sand floating about in the bay. The sun sank slowly towards the water, staining it pink and red. The sky turned orange.

Mishka wandered up and sat beside Linka, taking her hand and watching Natalya and Kwame chat as they kept a careful watch on the twins sitting at the edge of the water.

He looked down at his younger sister. "You look much happier than you did a few weeks ago," he said, squeezing her hand.

"I do?" she asked, smiling at him.

He nodded. "Tired," he said, looking at her carefully, "but very happy."

She reddened slightly under his scrutiny, but smiled. "I am very happy," she said. She realised how long it had been since she'd truly felt that way, and it made her a little sad and a little surprised that it had taken so long .

Gi squealed as Ma-Ti swept his arm behind her knees and draped her over his shoulders, wading out into the water with her. Wheeler and Linka could hear her threatening him with increasingly-violent outcomes if he dared drop her.

"What is next for the Planeteers?" Mishka asked after a moment.

"Just rebuilding," Wheeler answered, waving his hand back towards the forest. "We've got a lot to do."

Linka smiled to herself as she watched her friends on the beach, her head against Wheeler's shoulder. "It will not take long," she said. "We have rebuilt so much already."

xXx

"Do you want me to drop it?" Kwame asked, grinning down at Gi as she bounced around him watching him hold a beam up against the wall of her hut.

"Not really," she answered. "I'm just excited it's almost done."

He chuckled and nodded to Ma-Ti, who started to hammer. Kwame looked around at Gi again. "It is nice to see you so light-hearted again," he said after a moment. "You have not seemed this happy for a long time."

She reddened, feeling rather self-conscious about being called out on her exuberance. "I feel a lot better," she admitted. "I didn't realise how heavy the weight of guilt was until Linka helped lift it away."

Kwame smiled at her and turned back to the task at hand.

"You seem better too," Gi said. "You smile a lot."

He grinned at her. "There is more to smile about now."

"Yeah," she agreed happily.

"Where are Wheeler and Linka?" Ma-Ti asked suddenly, checking his watch.

"Is our conversation boring you?" Gi asked, rolling her eyes at him with a smile.

He grinned at her and gave her shoulder a nudge as he walked past. "I'm hungry. Let's go and find something for lunch."

They almost ran into Linka as they headed towards the beach.

She smiled at them. "I was just coming to get you! We made lunch. Mishka and Natalya are settling the boys for a sleep, but they told us to go ahead and eat." She led them towards the picnic tables in front of The Crystal Chamber, which stood new and repaired and whole against the backdrop of Hope Island's green mountains.

"How's your hut coming along?" Wheeler asked Gi as she settled herself beside him and reached for a sandwich.

"Almost done," she answered happily. "How's yours?"

"Linka wants a mansion," he said, rolling his eyes.

Linka protested immediately, sending a mock glare at him from across the table. "You are just terrible at following measurements, Yankee."

"You wrote everything in metric!" he complained. "It's not my fault I can't convert it properly."

"Yes it is," Ma-Ti answered with a grin, reaching for the jug of water in the middle of the table.

Wheeler gaped at him and the others laughed.

"How much longer do you think it'll take before everything is finished?" Gi asked.

Kwame shrugged. "I am not sure. A couple of weeks, maybe, before everything is totally complete. But we should be able to sleep in our huts in the next few days, if the weather stays nice."

"I feel a little guilty," Linka admitted.

"Do not feel guilty," Kwame said reassuringly. "We have helped rebuild many villages as Planeteers. It is not selfish to stop and rebuild our own."

She smiled at him and glanced across the table at Ma-Ti, Gi and Wheeler. Their faces were all slightly sunburnt, and dusty, but everyone looked happy and whole.

She felt Wheeler's foot nudge hers under the table and she smiled at him as she took a sip of water.

She finally felt whole, too. They had come through missions that had frayed them to the very core, but as she looked at them then, sitting in the afternoon sun laughing and sharing stories, she knew that what existed now was stronger than what had existed before.

It had been difficult, and she would not forget the hurt and pain she had been through, nor did she expect that the road ahead would be an easy one.

But it wasn't a road she intended to turn her back on, and she realised now, more than ever, that there were four other people travelling it with her. They would face each obstacle as a team, leaving their past mistakes behind them.

They had come through the shadows of their own failings and they had survived.

Linka turned her attention back to the laughter of her fellow Planeteers and joined in, allowing herself to fall forward into trust and happiness again.


End file.
